Shades of Red
by Everest4010
Summary: Defeated. That's what the Clans suspected after the Great Battle. But has the darkest force the clans have every faced really gone? Countless seasons after the Dark Forest's defeat, Russetpaw is born to RiverClan. Little does she know that her medicine has received a prophecy concerning her, and more importantly, which side will Russetpaw choose when the Clans are falling apart?
1. Allegiances

**Hey there! I'm Everest4010! This is the first time I have posted my writing, but I have written warriors fanfiction many times before. Special thanks to my "unofficial" editor, MRK, who is amazing! Please enjoy my writing!**

 **Alligiances:**

RiverClan:

Leader:

 **Blizzardstar** : Massive white tom with piercing green eyes

Deputy:

 **Minnowtail** : Light gray she-cat with yellow eyes

Medicine Cat:

 **Shellcloud** : Lithe silver tabby she-cat with pale green eyes

Warriors:

 **Raventuft** : Large dark gray tom with amber eyes

Apprentice, Russetpaw

 **Puddlespots** : Blue eyed gray she-cat with a white chest and paws

 **Rockwillow** : Small pale gray she-cat with green eyes

Apprentice, Sparkpaw

 **Lizardstripe** : Light orange tabby tom with blue eyes

Apprentice, Flamepaw

 **Tinywave** : Small blue-silver she-cat with gray eyes

Apprentice, Ashpaw

 **Tidetail** : Huge black and white tom with blue eyes

 **Palenose** : Light yellow tom with pale green eyes

 **Sunblaze** : Bright orange tom with amber eyes

 **Fishclaw** : Light gray tabby tom with amber eyes

 **Mistyfeather** : Gray she-cat with one white paw and a warm green gaze

 **Dimfur** : Dark gray tom with amber eyes

 **Stripedpelt** : Small brown tabby tom with blue eyes

 **Sweetclaw** : Light brown and white she-cat with orange eyes

 **Acornpelt** : Massive dark tabby tom with amber eyes

 **Shimmertail** : Sleek gray-blue tabby she-cat with amber eyes

 **Gingerflame** : Reddish she-cat with blue eyes

Queens:

 **Dovesong** : Pure white she-cat with amber eyes

(Mother to Tidetail's kits: Foxkit - Dark ginger she-cat and Muddykit - Brown tabby tom)

 **Swiftfoot** : Black Sabbath she-cat with green eyes

(Mother to Dimfur's kits: Splashkit - gray-blue she-cat, Sprucekit - Dark tabby tom, and Birdkit - Pale brown she-cat)

 **Creamfur** : Cream-colored she-cat with amber eyes

(Expecting Lizardstripe's kits)

Apprentices:

 **Sparkpaw** : White she-cat with ginger splotches and green eyes

 **Flamepaw** : Ginger and white tom with blue eyes

 **Russetpaw** : Dark ginger she-cat with white patches and dazzling green eyes

 **Ashpaw** : Light gray tom with darker flecks on his legs and blue eyes

Elders:

 **Echomist** : Black she-cat with gray eyes

 **Rushfur** : Mottled gray and white tom with yellow eyes

 **Birchleaf** : Silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes

ThunderClan:

Leader:

 **Amberstar** : Long-furred ginger she-cat with pale green eyes

Deputy:

 **Snaketail** : Large dark gray and black tabby tom with green eyes

Medicine Cat:

 **Frostwing** : Sleek silver tabby she-cat with soft green eyes

Apprentice: Shadepaw

Warriors:

 **Rainpelt** : Long-furred gray tabby tom with a yellow gaze

Apprentice, Barkpaw

 **Clawheart** : Light brown tabby tom with blue eyes

Apprentice, Screechpaw

 **Featherwisp** : Pure white she-cat with gray eyes

Apprentice, Goldenpaw

 **Softspike** : Tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes

Apprentice, Pinepaw

 **Hawkeye** : Massive dark tabby tom with green eyes

 **Dawnfeather** : Cream-colored she-cat with blue eyes

 **Rabbitnose** : Brown tabby she-cat with white patched and a amber gaze

 **Mintleaf** : Light gray she-cat with yellow eyes

 **Twisttail** : Gray tom with blue eyes and a twisted tail

 **Applefur** : Cream-colored tom with amber eyes

 **Flowerfern:** Tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

 **Nutshell** : Brown tom with gray eyes

 **Deerclaw** : Stocky tabby tom with yellow eyes

Queens:

 **Snowstep:** White she-cat with blue eyes

(Expecting Clawheart's kits)

Apprentices:

 **Shadepaw** : Dark gray tom with blue eyes

 **Goldenpaw** : Sleek ginger she-cat with amber eyes

 **Screechpaw** : Light brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

 **Pinepaw:** Reddish she-cat with blue eyes

 **Barkpaw:** Dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Elders:

 **Leafmist:** Brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

 **Dusttail:** Old gray tabby tom with hazy blue eyes

 **Greeneyes:** Light brown tabby tom with a bright green gaze

 **Darkstreak** : Gray and black tabby tom with green eyes

Shadowclan:

Leader:

 **Lionstar:** Pale yellow tom with cold blue eyes

Deputy:

 **Blazetail:** Black tom with orange markings and blue eyes

Medicine Cat:

 **Rippleshine:** Sleek gray tabby she-cat with green eyes

Apprentice, Ebonypaw

Warriors:

 **Wrenwing:** Light brown tom with amber eyes

 **Treefoot:** Lithe gray she-cat with blue eyes

 **Featherclaw:** Pure white she-cat with yellow eyes

Apprentice, Daisypaw

 **Rockpelt** : Muscular dark gray tom with green eyes

Apprentice, Lightningpaw

 **Orangeblossom:** White she-cat with ginger patches and amber eyes

 **Blossomgaze:** Tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

Apprentice, Nightpaw

 **Stormwhisker:** Stocky gray tabby tom with golden eyes

 **Cricketjump** : Pale brown she-cat with green eyes

 **Scarleg:** Black tom with a crooked leg and gray eyes

 **Darkripple:** Black, white, and dark gray mottled tom with green eyes

 **Honeydrop:** Golden she-cat with blue eyes

 **Cherrynose:** Reddish she-cat with green eyes

Queens:

 **Flamefur** : Dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

(Mother to Wrenwing's kits: Willowkit - Pale yellow tabby she-cat and Alderkit - Dark brown tabby tom)

 **Plumclaw** : Gray she-cat with yellow eyes

(Expecting Stormwhisker's kits)

Apprentices:

 **Lightningpaw:** Gray, orange, and white mottled tom with gray eyes.

 **Daisypaw** : Cream-colored she-cat with green eyes

 **Ebonypaw:** Black she-cat with amber eyes

 **Nightpaw** : Black she-cat with green eyes

Elders:

 **Silverstripe:** Grumpy silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes

 **Twigpelt:** Brown tom with amber eyes

WindClan:

Leader:

 **Aspenstar:** Yellow tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Deputy:

 **Buzzardcry:** Black and white tom with hazel eyes

Medicine Cat:

 **Jaysong** : Light gray tabby tom with green eyes

 **Misteyes:** Blind pale gray she-cat with blue eyes

Warriors:

 **Runningblaze:** Dark ginger tom with yellow eyes

Apprentice, Silverpaw

 **Gorgeberry:** Skinny black she-cat with amber eyes

Apprentice, Quickpaw

 **Flashtail:** Yellow tabby tom with green eyes

Apprentice, Stagpaw

 **Briarfur:** Brown tabby she-cat with gray eyes and tufted ears

 **Sleekwind:** Gray she-cat with blue eyes

Apprentice, Wisppaw

 **Sootfeather:** Dark gray tom with green eyes

Apprentice, Beepaw

 **Dashfoot:** Large dark gray tom with amber eyes

 **Blueshine:** Gray-blue she-cat with amber eyes

 **Scorchtail:** Black tom with orange patched and green eyes

 **Fernfrost:** Lithe pale gray she-cat with green eyes

 **Strikeheart:** Skinny ginger tom with blue eyes

 **Iceheart:** White tom with cold blue eyes

Queens:

 **Larkfeather:** Dark gray and white she-cat with green eyes

(Mother to Buzzardcry's kits: Whiskerkit - light brown tom, Adderkit - Gray tabby tom, and Thistlekit - Tortoiseshell she-cat)

 **Blossompatch** : White she-cat with black and ginger patches and a soft green gaze (Mother to Iceheart's kits: Frozenkit: Pure white tom, and Yellowkit: Pale ginger she-cat)

Apprentices:

 **Stagpaw:** Small dark brown tabby tom with blue eyes

 **Silverpaw** : Sleek silver tabby she-cat with green eyes

 **Quickpaw** : Fast dark gray tom with a fierce green gaze

 **Beepaw** : Skinny yellow tabby she-cat with amber eyes

 **Wisppaw:** Long-furred she-cat with blue eyes

Elders:

 **Horsefur** : Old brown tom with amber eyes

 **Hareleap** : Gray and white tom with golden eyes

 **Bloomsong** : Tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes

SkyClan:

Leader:

 **Brightstar:** Long-furred black she-cat with yellow eyes

Deputy:

 **Graystorm:** Speckled gray-and-white tom with blue eyes

Medicine Cat:

 **Fernbrush:** Gray tabby she-cat with green eyes

Apprentice, Deerpaw

Warriors:

 **Owlswoop:** Green-eyed muscular brown tom

Apprentice, Beetlepaw

 **Blacktail:** White and black tom with yellow eyes

Apprentice, Stonepaw

 **Rosethorn:** Black she-cat with green eyes

Apprentice, Laurelpaw

 **Sweetberry:** spotted brown and white she-cat

Apprentice, Streampaw

 **Hailspots:** Light gray tabby tom with dark green eyes

 **Crowcall:** Black tom with yellow eyes

 **Vinetangle:** Calico she-cat with amber eyes

 **Cloudpatch:** Orange tabby-and-white she-cat with yellow eyes

 **Duststreak:** Sand-colored tom with blue eyes

 **Petaldrop:** Tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes

 **Redflame:** Orange tom with hazel eyes

Queens:

 **Lightstep:** Small white she-cat with blue eyes (Mother to Graystorm's kits: Whitekit - white tom, and Smallkit - small white she-cat)

 **Poppyheart:** Ginger-and-white she-cat (Mother to Owlswoop's kits - Mousekit: brown tom, Birdkit: light brown she-cat, Clawkit: speckled tom, and Falconkit: brown tom)

 **Hazelfur:** Green-eyed brown she-cat (expecting Duststreak's kits)

Apprentices:

 **Beetlepaw:** Dark brown tom with amber eyes

 **Deerpaw:** Lithe brown tom with hazel eyes

 **Streampaw:** gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

 **Stonepaw:** black tom with green eyes

 **Laurelpaw:** Light brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

Elders:

 **Lilyfall:** Green-eyed orange she-cat

 **Brownspeckle:** White she-cat with speckled brown fur and blue eyes

 **Cats Outside Clans** **:**

 **Scratch:** Massive dark ginger tom with amber eyes

 **Eagle** : Husky gray and white tom with blue eyes

 **Sunny** : Golden she-cat with yellow eyes who lives in the horseplace

 **Crow** : Sleek black tom with orange eyes who lives in the horseplace

 **Pascal** : Ginger tabby tom with amber eyes who is a kittypet


	2. Prolouge

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own warriors. Erin Hunter has all rights to the warrior world.**

 **Prologue**

Bright orange rays from the setting sun streamedinto Shellcloud's den. The silver tabby carefully laid the last pile of marigold leaves next to the clump of juniper berries. _We're low on tansy…_ she realized as she sorted through her herbs. Her heart sunk when she realized that she only had a few small stems of catmint left. Shellcloud sighed, knowing that the leaf-bare ahead would be a long one for sure.

 _And Crowflight's gone…_ She dreaded leaf-bare even more as she remembered her old mentor. He had been killed by a fox only a moon ago, leaving Shellcloud to carry the weight of RiverClan by herself. The medicine cat shook her head and bent down to pick up a mess of borage

leaves.

 _I'm sure Mistyfeather needs some more._ Her thoughts immediately brightened when she thought of her sister, who was expecting kits that had been overdue for almost a quarter moon. The only issue that troubled her was the identity of the true father of Mistyfeather's kits. The Clan assumed it was Hailfall, a warrior who had disappeared three moons ago, but Shellcloud doubted it. _My sister was never that close to Hailfall._

She padded out of the den with the wrap of borage in her jaws. The sun had dipped low under the tops of the trees as the Clan settled down for the night. The silver she-cat nodded a greeting to Tidetail, who was leaving with Stripedpelt, Shimmerpaw, and Acornpaw for the dusk patrol.

Across the clearing, Gingerpaw was practicing battle moves with Palepaw and Sunpaw. The two older apprentices easily pinned down the young orange she-cat.

Shellcloud walked to the nursery, the overwhelming scents of the herbs in her mouth and milk-scent making her dizzy. But before she reached the nursery, Flamekit and Sparkkit came tumbling past her. Their wrestling almost made her trip, but she managed to keep her balance, though the borage leaves did not. They slipped out of the wrap and landed on the ground.

"Flamekit! Sparkkit!" Puddlespots's flustered, scolding meow sounded from inside the nursery. "Apologize to Shellcloud, now!"

The two kits bent their heads in shame as they squeaked a quick "sorry" to the medicine cat.

"It's alright," Shellcloud purred as she wrapped up the herbs again and picked them up. "I know you two didn't intend to run into me."

Flamekit nodded gratefully and then ran off, still slightly embarrassed, his sister hard on his paws.

 _Blizzardstar has to make those two kits apprentices sometime in the next moon. They're growing too big for the nursery!_ Shellcloud's whiskers twitched with amusement as she disappeared into the nursery.

"Shellcloud!" She was greeted by Mistyfeather's warm, friendly meow. The pale gray queen was stretched out in a soft nest, her belly swollen with kits.

"I brought these herbs for you, Mistyfeather," Shellcloud told her sister as she put the borage down beside her.

"Thank-" Mistyfeather stopped in the middle of her sentence, her face twisted with pain.

Shellcloud ran across the den to her and sniffed her side. She could see the ripples along Mistyfeather's side as she let out a painful yowl. _The kits are coming!_

"Get inside, both of you." Puddlespots was herding her kits into the nursery when her eyes widened as she saw Mistyfeather. She quickly pushed Flamekit and Sparkkit out of the way with one paw. "Never mind. You two run along now. Go play outside." Both kits obeyed that order happily, completely unaware that the nursery would have some new additions in the next few hours.

"Please, get some wet moss and a stick," Shellcloud ordered to the gray tabby queen. Puddlespots quickly nodded and raced out of the den.

Shellcloud turned back to her sister, who was panting heavily. Then a spasm overtook her body and she let out a painful shriek.

"The first kit's coming. I can see it! Keep going, you're doing great!" Shellcloud soothed Mistyfeather as she gasped for air. "Come on! Almost there!"

Quickly, an orange bundle slipped out and tumbled into the nest. The medicine cat nipped the sac around it and licked it fiercely. The kit let out a few tiny wails as Shellcloud placed it at its mother's belly.

The second kit arrived a while after that and was dropped carefully next to its sibling. Puddlespots then arrived.

"Sorry I took so long!" she meowed as she dropped the moss and a short stick on the den floor. Shellcloud purred.

"You're just in time - Mistyfeather had two healthy kits while you were gone," the medicine cat told her as she pushed the damp moss towards her sister's mouth. To Mistyfeather she said gently, "You have a new daughter and a son. I'm so happy for you, Mistyfeather!"

"Congratulations!" Puddlespots purred as Mistyfeather lapped up the water that was collected in the moss. The new queen looked exhausted, but pride shone in her eyes as she gazed lovingly at her newborn kits.

Puddlespots then slipped out of the den to check on her own kits, leaving the two sisters alone.

"I wish their father could see them…" Mistyfeather's green eyes welled up with regret as she stared at the newborn RiverClan cats.

Shellcloud thought for a moment. _Should I ask her?_ If her sister did not want to share who her real mate was, Shellcloud didn't want to ask. _No, she'll tell me if she wants to._

However, at that moment, Mistyfeather whispered, "Shellcloud, I need to tell you something about my kits."

"Hailfall isn't their father… is he?" Shellcloud whispered hesitantly.

Mistyfeather shook her head, surprised. "How did you know?"

"I am a medicine cat, and I am not allowed to love, but I can still tell when a cat is not interested in another, especially when she is my sister. I didn't want to ask, but…" Shellcloud trailed off. "I wanted to know the truth."

"I'm so sorry I lied to you. I lied to all of RiverClan! But please, Shellcloud, don't tell anyone. I want my kits to lead a life where they feel like they belong. I don't want them to be outsiders."

"May I ask… who is the father?" Shellcloud inquired carefully. Mistyfeather waited a moment, thinking, but finally replied quietly.

"Blazetail."

Shellcloud nodded slowly and calmly, even though inside, she was overtaken by shock and rage. _The ShadowClan deputy? How could she?_

"What are their names?" she asked, quickly changing the subject before she got too upset with her sister. Shellcloud could think about the situation later, but for now, she wanted Mistyfeather's kits' birth to remain a happy memory.

"I'll name this one Ashkit, after our father," Mistyfeather meowed, stroking the gray tom's head with her tail.

Ashwind was Shellcloud's father and both sisters missed him greatly. She shivered when she remembered the horrible battle with ShadowClan. The image of her father's bloody, limp body was still crystal clear in her mind. That had happened when she and Mistyfeather were just apprentices, fresh out of the nursery.

 _If only he was here to see us now. But I know that he is in StarClan, at least… oh, I still miss him._

"And Russetkit." Mistyfeather's meow broke Shellcloud away from her thoughts, but she nodded in approval at her sister's decision, because the kit had dark ginger fur, matching her name.

The medicine cat bent forward to nuzzle the kits. Her nose gently brushed Russetkit's ear.

Suddenly, there was a bright flash and Shellcloud's eyes grew wide with terror. She found herself at the edge of the lake in RiverClan territory. Water lapped at her paws slowly, but there was something odd about it. It seemed thick and sticky, not the right texture for water. Shellcloud glanced down. _Wait, that isn't water, it's… blood!_ She looked up wildly to see a red sky, stained crimson, clouds of blood swirling above her.

Lightning flashed before her bewildered eyes before she looked away and found a cat standing before her. It was a ginger she-cat with green eyes and many battle scars all over her body. She looked oddly familiar, but Shellcloud couldn't tell where she had seen the cat before. The ginger cat's paws were red, dripping with thick, sticky blood.

 _Shades of red will stain the forest…_ The words echoed around her as Shellcloud realized who this cat was. It was Russetkit as a warrior!

As soon as Shellcloud started making sense of her vision, the RiverClan medicine cat found herself back in the nursery, staring down at Russetkit, but instead of appearing as a grown, mature cat, she was tiny, mewling and helpless. She didn't seem disturbed in the slightest bit, and neither did Mistyfeather, who was now feeding her kits.

The breeze that blew through the RiverClan camp carried whispers that Shellcloud could hear and understand, whispers that sounded the same words.

" _Shades of red will stain the forest… Shades of red will stain the forest…"_ The prophecy roared in Shellcloud's ears, never to be forgotten.


	3. Chapter One

**Hey Hey Hey! I'm hoping you're liking this story so far. Time for the real fun! Here's chapter one.**

 **Disclaimer: I do NOT own warriors. Erin Hunter has all rights to the warrior world.**

 **Chapter One**

"Sparkpaw! Flamepaw! Keep up!" Russetpaw's energetic meow rang through the trees as she darted through the undergrowth. As the trees thinned gradually, the snow began to deepen. Her white paws sank down as she made her way over the cold, sparkling snow. Russetpaw slowed into a trot as she came across the river bank, realizing that she couldn't remember the last time she felt dry sand beneath her paws.

Her green gaze rested on a cluster of snow-covered trees on the other side of the border, where silhouettes of thin cats were slithering around them. _WindClan! Those flea-ridden thieves!_ She thought bitterly. _Those trees should be ours!_

Russetpaw lashed her tail in anger as she broke into a run. The white sunlight streamed down on her fur as huge flakes of cold snow fell down from the sky, dappling her ginger fur with white.

"Russetpaw! Come back here now!" The she-cat skidded to a halt as she heard a stern yowl behind her. She turned and faced a large, muscular gray tabby tom.

"What did I tell you about running off like that? You know you could slip and fall into the river," he hissed, his tail lashing in annoyance. His eyes were flashing with exasperation.

"Sorry, Raventuft," she muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Don't get smart with me!" Raventuft shot back at her, his voice nearing a fierce snarl. "I know we are RiverClan, but you could still fall under the ice and drown! You're lucky I'm still taking you to the Gathering tonight."

Russetpaw's ears perked up and she brightened instantly. _The Gathering!_ She thought in awe as she flexed her claws into the snow.

"Thankyou, Raventuft!" she meowed happily, a purr rising in her throat. She had never been to a Gathering before, and had heard the warriors talking about it since she was a tiny kit. Russetpaw had been waiting to go her whole life.

"Well, you're the best hunter out of all the apprentices," Raventuft mewed, his whiskers twitching in amusement. His hard gaze softened and the dark gray tom turned leading her back to the RiverClan camp.

"Are Flamepaw and Sparkpaw coming, too?" Russetpaw asked, bounding up next to the tom. She wanted her friends to come since they missed the last gathering because they had tricked Muddykit into thinking that rabbit droppings were berries.

"I don't know. It's up to Rockwillow and Lizardstripe," Raventuft responded, picking through the undergrowth. A few thorns caught his pelt and he grunted with frustration.

As she made her way back to the camp, Russetpaw wondered how the other clans had been coping with the cold. It had been snowing four sunrises in a row. The ginger she-cat missed the warm new-leaf sun, even though she couldn't fully remember what it was like, being born near the end of greenleaf. _The last time it was actually warm was when I was still in the nursery._

"Can we battle train tomorrow?" Russetpaw inquired as she bounded ahead of her mentor.

"Why would we need to? The clans have the snow to worry about, not battles," Raventuft responded.

"But we haven't battle trained in such a long time!" Russetpaw tried not to sound too much like a whiny kit who hadn't been fed.

Raventuft swung his head and rested his amber gaze on his apprentice. "You have only been an apprentice for a moon. You shouldn't be telling your mentor how to train you!"

Russetpaw had opened her mouth to say something, but quickly decided not to protest. _He's right, even if I am faster than Flamepaw and Sparkpaw put together._

 _But I can't risk not going to the Gathering, she_ thought to herself.

Soon, the two cats caught sight of camp. It was on a small island in the low dip of a river, surrounded by tall reeds, which were now covered almost up to their tips in snow.

"I guess we have to swim back," Russetpaw growled, flexing her claws.

Raventuft gave Russetpaw a stern look and snatched up a trout that they had caught earlier. "Grab that vole," he said, pointing his ears towards a dead lump of gray fur.

Russetpaw retrieved the prey and bounded down the riverbank towards the water. She spotted Sparkpaw and Flamepaw waiting there, along with their mentors Rockwillow and Lizardstripe.

"Look, it's frozen!" Flamepaw exclaimed. Russetpaw looked down at the river and her paws tingled with excitement. There had been a few small chunks of ice on it during the days before, but it was completely frozen over now. She put the vole down and tentatively placed a paw on the ice to test its strength. _This is so cool!_ She thought when she realized it was thick enough to walk on.

After all four paws were on, she began sliding gleefully across the frozen river.

"Watch me!" she yowled, beckoning Flamepaw and Sparkpaw to come onto the ice with her.

"Be careful!" Lizardstripe called from the bank. "Remember that nursery tale about the ShadowClan cat who fell through the ice?"

"Big deal!" Russetpaw called back, sarcasm ringing in her voice. "We're Riverclan!"

"This is so much fun!" Sparkpaw meowed as she slid towards Russetpaw. She spun around gracefully and stopped right next to her friend.

"Totally!" Flamepaw agreed as he came sliding up uncontrollably, crashing into his sister and Russetpaw.

"You mouse-brained furball!" Sparkpaw's whiskers were twitching with amusement as she cuffed her brother over the ear.

The three apprentices went along with sliding and playing on the ice. Their joyful screeches filled the air as more and more RiverClan cats came out to investigate. Russetpaw caught sight of some warriors, including Gingerflame, Acornpelt, and Shimmertail. They had been made warriors only a half-moon ago.

"Hey guys, come over here!" she called out to the young cats. They caught sight of her and slid onto the ice.

"This is amazing!" Acornpelt exclaimed as he unsheathed his claws to get a better grip.

"Why not have a race?" Shimmertail meowed, a mischievous twinkle appearing in her amber eyes.

"I don't know…" Sparkpaw's worried meow sounded from behind Russetpaw. "The senior warriors don't seem so pleased that we are out here."

Russetpaw turned to look at the senior warriors, who were sitting on the bank watching them. The cats were exchanging anxious glances and talking quietly amongst each other. _Why do they have to be so worried about everything… life is about taking risks, right?_

"They must be scared of that old nursery tale," Acornpelt snorted. "You know, the one where the old Shadowclan cat falls through the ice and drowns?"

"Yes, but we are Riverclan; Shadowclan can't swim, remember?" Russetpaw reminded them, flexing her claws on the ice. She wanted to race and show the clan that she could beat a warrior anyday.

" Either way, I am the fastest Riverclan cat!" Gingerflame yowled as she hurled herself across the ice. "Can't catch me!"

Competitive fire blazed through Russetpaw as she and the other young cats took off across the ice. Her pads thumped on the slick surface below her and she gained speed. She had already passed Acornpelt, Sparkpaw, Shimmertail, and Flamepaw. _Now for Gingerflame…_

Russetpaw bolted across the ice, unsheathing her claws for a better grip. She pushed on faster and faster. The riverbank beside her became a blur and she focused her piercing, green eyes on Gingerflame. Soon, she sped right past the warrior, letting out a yowl of victory.

Suddenly, another ginger pelt blazed past her. _Gingerflame?_ Russetpaw almost stopped, she was so puzzled. This cat was a lighter color than Gingerflame's dark orange. _No, Flamepaw!_

"Ha, ha!" Flamepaw called out. He had spun around on the ice. His eyes were blazing with triumph as he boasted about his victory. "I win-."

The orange tabby tom's words were cut off as the ice he was standing on cracked underneath him. Russetpaw's eyes widened in shock and horror as she watched the dark, churning water completely swallow him up. She stood, paralyzed in fear for a second, but then lurched forward to the hole in the ice.

"Flamepaw!" she screeched, and she jumped into the swirling river.

The freezing water washed into her pelt, burning her skin. Her vision was blurry, but she caught sight of a furry bundle, sinking into the darkness. _He must be in shock! That's why he's not swimming,_ she thought steering herself through the murky water. She finally was able to grasp Flamepaw's scruff in her teeth and attempt to drag him upwards, but the apprentice's dead weight was hard to manage, and she struggled underneath the water.

Russetpaw finally neared the surface, but instead of hitting air, her body hit solid ice. _No! The ice must have frozen on top of us._ She caught Flamepaw's blue gaze, which was full of fear and terror.

Suddenly, a huge wave came up and swept them downstream towards the lake. Russetpaw tumbled in the water, her body hitting rocks and debris as she was sent with the twisting current . She still managed to cling to Flamepaw, who was having the same troubles as she was.

Eventually the current began to calm down and everything was still. _We must be in the lake,_ Russetpaw thought as her lungs screamed for air. She looked at Flamepaw. He had somewhat regained himself; he now looked like he could swim without her help for at least a few fox-tails. Russetpaw let go of her friend and swam up to the surface, making sure Flamepaw was following her. With unsheathed claws, she began to claw through the ice.

Flamepaw looked weary and tired, but he joined her. _We're barely making a dent. We can't keep this up forever!_

Russetpaw worked with all her remaining energy. She kept glancing over in Flamepaw's direction to make sure he was still conscious, but gradually his blows got weaker and weaker until his body went limp and he began sinking.

 _No!_ The ginger she-cat grabbed him and began to bang her shoulder into the ice in one last attempt to break the impossible barrier to air. Finally, the ice shattered and Russetpaw broke through the surface.

Russetpaw dragged Flamepaw out and then collapsed next to him on the ice. She gasped for air, her sides heaving as she breathed in huge gulps of fresh air. _I'm just going to lay here for a while… or forever._


	4. Chapter Two

**Hello again! Thanks so much to everyone who has already reviewed, followed, and favorited! I really appreciate it. This chapter is a bit boring… but don't worry. The third chapter should be coming out soon.** **Chapter Two**

"Russetpaw? Russetpaw?" A desperate mew filled the air around her. Her eyes flickered open as she saw two blurry cats standing above her.

"W-Where am I?" She asked, blinking.

"Oh, thank Starclan she's alright!" Russetpaw recognized her mother, Mistyfeather, and her relieved voice. "You are safe here in Shellcloud's den."

Russetpaw's eyes focused and she looked around the medicine cat den. In the nest beside her, she saw a limp, soaking, bundle of orange and white fur.

"Flamepaw!" She exclaimed as she saw him, "Is he alright?"

"He swallowed a lot of water and some of it got into his lungs. When you brought him out of the water he was unconscious," Shellcloud replied, gazing down at the apprentice. "But with this herb poultice and lots of warmth and rest, he'll be alright."

Russetpaw sat up and rested her tired green gaze on him thinking, _This is all my fault! If I hadn't been so eager to go onto the ice, this wouldn't have happened._ She sighed miserably and flinched as Flamepaw jerked awake and vomited up several mouthfuls of water.

"Are they alright?" Russetpaw turned to see Raventuft pushing through the entrance to the den. "I still want to take Russetpaw to the gathering if she is fit enough."

 _The gathering!_ The ginger she-cat's paws tingled with excitement and she looked at Shellcloud expectantly. She had forgotten all about it!

"Russetpaw seems fine, but she needs a little more rest. Flamepaw won't be going, though," The sleek silver tabby meowed to the tom. Her dazzling blue stare rested on him, swimming with an unknown emotion.

"Good…" Raventuft huffed, avoiding the medicine cat's gaze. He padded out of the den, not looking back.

Russetpaw wondered where the tension between the two cats came from. She suspected that it was more than just a simple quarrel, based on the layered looks that the two gave each other.

"You can go outside now, Russetpaw," Shellcloud meowed when Russetpaw woke from a long and refreshing nap. Then the medicine cat turned her back to the entrance to sort herbs.

Russetpaw quickly padded out of the den, the weak sunshine warming her fur. Suddenly a chilly breeze cut through her fur, freezing her through her pelt and ruining the moment. _When will Leaf-bare be over?_

The young apprentice gazed around camp. She saw Gingerflame, Palenose, and Acornpelt whispering quietly in the corner. Some senior warriors were crowding on the other side of the clearing. Raventuft, Rockwillow, and Lizardstripe were among them. She padded over to the apprentice's den, but a meow stopped her in her tracks.

"Russetpaw?" She turned and saw a massive white tom gazing at her.

"Yes, Blizzardstar?" She stood up as tall and warrior-like as possible. Her hard green gaze met his, without flinching. She lashed her tail in annoyance when Blizzardstar's whiskers twitched with amusement at her efforts to look bigger.

"I heard about how you saved Flamepaw when he fell through the ice," the tom meowed. Guilt flickered in Russetpaw's heart. _It's my fault that he went on the ice on the first place…_

"Riverclan honors your bravery, Russetpaw. You will make a great warrior someday," the tom mewed.

"Thank you, Blizzardstar." Russetpaw couldn't help swelling with pride at these words as she dipped her head in respect. The huge cat nodded and turned to leave.

 _Wow! Did that really just happen?_ Russetpaw's fur tingled with excitement and pride.

A sudden sneer jerked her out of her thoughts.

"You shouldn't even had been on the ice anyway!" Russetpaw whipped around and saw her brother, Ashpaw. _No! Not this bossy mouse-brain!_ She thought, twitching her tail in exasperation. What did he want with her?

"I bet it's your fault that Flamepaw went onto the ice! Didn't Raventuft tell you not to do that?" Ashpaw smirked. Russetpaw's fur bristled with anger and indignation. "Well, at least I was out hunting this morning, unlike you, you lazy furball! What were you doing, sleeping with the kits?" she spat.

Ashpaw's eyes blazed with anger and hatred. _Why does he hate me? What did I ever do to him?_ She thought bitterly. _He's my brother, for Starclan's sake!_

Ashpaw whipped around and stalked out of camp. _Toms!_ Russetpaw thought as she padded over to Raventuft. She shook her head as she approached her mentor.

"Can I go hunting?" She asked him, her paws urging to get out of camp.

"Yes, Russetpaw. Just stay off of the ice," he meowed, too absorbed in his conversation with Lizardstripe to really care.

Russetpaw bounded away towards the entrance of camp. She avoided the ice, going over to a part of the river which was too deep to freeze over. She growled in irritation as she slid into the icy water. Though it was cold, she still swam strongly across the river.

Russetpaw bounded through the rest of the water onto the bank. She shook her fur out, giving the trees and bushes around her a shower in freezing water. Her green eyes took in the all-white landscape. _Ugh! I hate Leaf-bare!_

The ginger she-cat padded silently towards the lake as more snow fell from the gray sky. She huffed in annoyance at the cold weather, but kept her quick pace.

Soon the lake came into sight. Russetpaw sighed in relief when she saw some of it hadn't frozen over. She broke into an even faster run until she reached the edge of the water. Then she crouched down, getting into the position that Raventuft had taught her.

" _Now, don't let your shadow cast into the water…_ " Raventuft's voice in the back of her head hissed at her impatiently. She obeyed and adjusted herself so the fish wouldn't see her shadow and swim away.Russetpaw waited silently by the water, not moving a muscle. Her piercing green gaze was fixed on the murky water. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a silver flicker of movement.

She kept her crouch, waiting for the flash to draw nearer. Her eyes followed its every twist and turn the fish made. When it finally was in reach of her paws, Russetpaw shot out unsheathed claws under the water, catching something in them. A huge trout flung out of the water onto the bank. The fish was dead with one swift bite to the neck.

"Yes!" She exclaimed in triumph. "This will feed all the elders!"

She snatched the fish up and carried it swiftly back to camp. "Raventuft is going to be so proud!"She said to herself as she padded through the frost-bitten forest. _He will have to take me to the gathering tonight!_


	5. Chapter Three

**I know Chapter Two was a bit short, but here's Chapter Three! Also, I've had 100+ views and only 8 reviews? Come on guys. Review, Review, Review.**

 **And to GreatWildEast: Yes! You will see plenty more of Shellcloud in the story.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own warriors. Erin Hunter has all rights to the warrior world.**

 **Please enjoy...**

 **Chapter Three**

Russetpaw glanced up at the sky, realizing that it was almost sundown. She broke into a run, knowing that she couldn't be late.Her paws pounded into the snow as she raced on. She then slowed with relief as camp came into sight. Her spine shivered as she slipped into the water surrounding the camp, but she didn't stop. Finally, she came up onto the bank and dashed past some rushes into camp.

"Russetpaw!" Raventuft met her with an anxious growl, his eyes were swimming with anticipation. "Where were you?"

"I told you! Hunting!" she spat, dropping the fish at his paws.

His eyes flickered with surprise when he saw her catch. _He's impressed!_ Russetpaw glowed with pride and she gave her chest a couple of embarrassed licks.

"Take that to the nursery." He ordered, flicking his long tail towards the holly bush across the clearing. "And come right back."

Russetpaw picked the trout back up and bounded across the clearing. She squeezed through the narrow entrance of the nursery and dropped her fish on the ground.

"Hello, Russetpaw! Thank y-" Swiftfoot's grateful meow was interrupted by the ginger apprentice.

"Sorry Swiftfoot! Got to go." The silver queen looked taken back, but Russetpaw was out of the nursery before she could reply.

Russetpaw sped back over to her mentor and skidded to a halt next to him.

"What are we waiting for?" she asked, puzzled. She looked around, trying to pick up clues to what all the commotion was about. The other RiverClan cats were gathering in the middle of the clearing, their eyes bright with excitement.

"Blizzardstar is about to announce the gathering patrol," Raventuft meowed calmly, resting his hard amber gaze on the leader's den.

"Oh!" Understanding washed over Russetpaw as she sat, waiting impatiently. "Do you know if I'll go?"

Her mentor's whiskers twitched with amusement as he replied. "I told Blizzardstar that you deserve to go, but it's not guaranteed."

"Cats of RiverClan!" A sharp yowl rang across the camp. Russetpaw turned around to see the powerful leader with his deputy, Minnowtail, at his side. Russetpaw narrowed her eyes at the sleek silver she-cat. She seemed skinny and weak compared to Blizzardstar's massive, well-fed body. _Raventuft told me she was getting old_ … _maybe she'll retire soon._

"It is time for the gathering!" The RiverClan leader's eyes swept through the waiting cats. "The cats who accompany me will be Rockwillow, Lizardstripe, Raventuft, Tinywave, Tidetail, Mistymoon, Palenose, Sweetclaw, Acornpelt, Shimmertail, Gingerflame, Russetpaw, Ashpaw, and Sparkpaw."

Russetpaw's fur tingled with excitement. _My first gathering!_ she thought anxiously as she followed Raventuft out of camp. She kept most of her focus on where Blizzardstar was leading them. The full moon gleamed in the dim forest and Silverpelt seemed to be illuminated with excitement. Russetpaw breathed in the crisp air. Acornpelt fell in beside her as they padded after their clanmates into the night's darkness.

"First Gathering, huh?" He meowed to her. She nodded vigorously, her eyes shining.

"Well, it's your first one as a warrior, right?" She replied to the dark tabby. Being made a warrior only a few sunrises ago, the last time he had gone to the Gathering was when he was an apprentice. He and his littermates, Shimmertail and Gingerflame, were strong warriors, a valuable addition to the clan.

"Yeah." His eyes glowed with pride as he padded on ahead of her, now walking next to his old mentor, Tidetail.

 _I'm going to be like that one day,_ Russetpaw told herself, _A warrior!_ She watched the cats in front of her trek up a slope going to the island.

"I saw you talking to Acornpelt!" The sudden meow of Sparkpaw jolted her out of her thoughts.

"Er, yeah, why?" Russetpaw replied, confusion in her mew. She looked to her friend for an explanation. Sparkpaw's pelt was long-furred and white, with dark ginger patches. _She looks so much like her brother,_ she thought sadly, remembering how they had to leave Flamepaw at camp.

"I don't know. I think he might like you," teased Sparkpaw.

Russetpaw rolled her eyes at her. _Sparkpaw's a great friend, but she's always mooning over some tom!_ Her tail twitched in annoyance as the white and ginger she-cat began to talk about how good Sunblaze was at fishing.

Finally, after what had seemed like moons, the RiverClan cats arrived at the tree-bridge. Russetpaw twitched her nose, smelling ThunderClan cats.

"Greetings, Amberstar." The RiverClan leader dipped his head to a small, long-furred ginger she-cat. "Hello, Blizzardstar," she replied back. Then Blizzardstar swiftly led his clan over the tree-bridge.

Russetpaw saw Raventuft waiting for her as she approached. "The tree-bridge is slippery and can be hard to cross for a novice apprentice." The gray tom whispered in her ear. "I'll cross behind you, in case you fall in."

The ginger apprentice's fur bristled in annoyance. _Does he think I am a kit?_

"I can cross perfectly fine by myself, thank you," she mewed curtly as she jumped onto the trunk.

Russetpaw unsheathed her claws and dug them into the bark. She padded gracefully across the tree, jumping off at the end and landing lightly. She waited on the bank for Raventuft and Sparkpaw to cross. Then she walked through the undergrowth into a large clearing.

Russetpaw stopped and gasped in awe at the scene. There were more cats than she could ever imagine existed, and this was just ShadowClan, WindClan, and SkyClan.

"Come on, I'll show you some of the other apprentices," Sparkpaw whispered in her ear. She padded towards a cluster of apprentices.

"I'll come, too." Russetpaw suppressed a growl of annoyance as Ashpaw followed them.

She sat next to her brother as Sparkpaw introduced them to some other cats.

"Russetpaw, Ashpaw, This is Lightningpaw and Daisypaw of ShadowClan," Sparkpaw meowed, nodding towards a mottled tom and a lithe, cream-colored she-cat.

"Greetings," Lightningpaw muttered to her, his eyes expressionless.

"I'm Silverpaw," a sleek, skinny silver she-cat sounded from beside him. "I'm from WindClan. This is Quickpaw and Beepaw," she explained, flicking her tail to the other apprentices behind her.

Russetpaw looked at a dark gray tom and a pale gray-and-yellow she-cat.

"And I'm Laurelpaw!" Squeaked a small brown tabby she-cat. She sat next to a stocky gray tom. Drinking in their musky scent, Russetpaw guessed the pair was from SkyClan.

"You should learn to hold your tongue, Laurelpaw!" The gray apprentice scolded his clanmate. He then turned back to look at Russetpaw, Sparkpaw, and Ashpaw. "I'm Stonepaw, by the way. In case you couldn't tell, it's this feather-brain's first gathering."

Laurelpaw's green eyes glared at Stonepaw as he flicked his tail over her ear. Russetpaw's whiskers twitched with amusement at the two apprentices.

"Well, well, well. Does RiverClan have some new apprentices?" A sharp sneer rose from behind her. Russetpaw whipped around and saw a stocky tabby tom and a long-furred yellow she-cat. The two cats smelled strongly of ThunderClan and appeared to be apprentices.

"Screechpaw, Goldenpaw." Silverpaw dipped her head at the two ThunderClan cats. By the way she looked at Screechpaw, Russetpaw could tell she wasn't exactly fond of the tom.

The group of small cats began to split up after the ThunderClan cats arrived. Ashpaw, Quickpaw, and Screechpaw were arguing about the best hunting techniques, while Sparkpaw, Goldenpaw, Laurelpaw, and Beepaw sat mewing about the most recent Clan gossip. Stonepaw had padded back to a cat that was probably his mentor, and sat down next to him, waiting for the Gathering to start. Russetpaw rested her gaze on Silverpaw and Lightningpaw. Their eyes were shining as they meowed warmly to each other. _Looks like they're really good friends - maybe even more than that,_ Russetpaw thought bitterly. Cats weren't allowed to have relationships outside of their own Clan.

She turned to see Daisypaw, who was glaring angrily at her brother and the WindClan apprentice. _Poor Daisypaw… It's not her fault her brother's a traitor._ Russetpaw padded up and sat next to the cream-colored she-cat.

"Hey," she meowed warmly. Daisypaw turned her gaze to her and nodded a greeting.

"Hi, Russetpaw," she replied.

"Who's your mentor?" Russetpaw asked her, trying to be friendly.

"Featherclaw," She meowed, pointing her ears towards a pure white she-cat. "Who's your's?"

"Raventuft," she said, flicking her tail towards the massive gray tabby. Daisypaw nodded

"So… who are the leaders and deputies?" Russetpaw asked, this time truly wanting to know the answer.

Daisypaw switched her gaze towards a large tree in the center of the clearing.

"Well, that's Lionstar, the ShadowClan leader." She nodded her muzzle in the direction of a large, pale, yellow tom with blue eyes. "That's his deputy, Blazetail." Blazetail was a black tom with orange patches, sitting at the base of the tree.

Russetpaw nodded, trying to remember the cats in case she met them in battle someday.

"The WindClan leader is Aspenstar, the small, yellow tabby. Her deputy is Buzzardcry, the black tom next to Blazetail," the cream-colored apprentice explained.

"Next is Amberstar, the ginger she-cat. She's the leader of ThunderClan. Snaketail is her deputy." Russetpaw gazed at the she-cat she saw earlier. Amberstar stood tall next to Blizzardstar, though she couldn't match him in size. Snaketail sent shivers down her spine. His glossy gray pelt glowed eerily in moonlight and his green gaze was icy as he looked around the clearing.

"And on the other side of the tree is Brightstar, leader of SkyClan. Right below her is her deputy, Graystorm." Daisypaw pulled Russetpaw out of her thoughts to look at a long-furred black she-cat and a speckled gray-and-white tom. Brightstar and Graystorm sat tall with pride, but appeared more friendly than ThunderClan.

"Cats of the Clans!" A sharp yowl rang across the clearing. It was Aspenstar, who stood on the tallest branch of the great tree. "I will start with WindClan's report. Even with the snow, we have found enough prey to feed us all."

 _Liar!_ Russetpaw noticed that the WindClan cats were extremely skinny, to the point where she could count their ribs, but her ears pricked forward and she listened to the rest of the report with respect.

"We also have two new warriors, Dashfoot and Blueshine, and two new apprentices, Beepaw and Wisppaw."

Russetpaw chanted the WindClan cat's name with all the other cats. She gazed at Dashfoot and Blueshine, who looked like strong, skilled warriors.

Aspenstar stepped back to let Lionstar lean forward into the moonlight to speak.

"ShadowClan stays strong, even in the harsh leaf-bare weather. We have Nightpaw as our newest apprentice and Ebonypaw has started her medicine cat training with Rippleshine. Also, Flamefur is expecting Wrenwing's kits!" Lionstar's husky tone was met with meows of congratulations to Flamefur, Wrenwing, Nightpaw, and Ebonypaw.

Russetpaw felt a tingle of excitement as Blizzardstar stood up, ready to speak. _Cats are going to be cheering my name!_

"Thank you, Lionstar." The massive white tom dipped his head to him. "Though the lake has partly frozen over, my skilled warriors are finding plenty of prey to fed us all. Creamfur has moved to the nursery, expecting Lizardstripe's kits. Also, we have two new apprentices, Russetpaw and Ashpaw."

Russetpaw held her head high as the clan cats cheered her and her brother's names into the chilly air. Her eyes glowed with pride even as the meows died down.

"Finally, we welcome Acornpelt, Shimmertail, and Gingerflame as RiverClan's newest warriors!"

The ginger apprentice happily yowled her clanmates' names.

 _Riverclan has so many new warriors and apprentices! We are the strongest clan ever!_ she thought proudly as Amberstar leaned forward.

"Like all Clans, ThunderClan have coped well with the weather." Russetpaw's eyes filled with doubt as she looked at the ThunderClan cats. Like WindClan, they were skinny and their eyes dull with hunger.

"Flowerfern and Applefur have become warriors and are sitting vigil in camp now. Lastly, one of our elders, Thornpelt, died a few sunrises ago. We wish him a safe journey to StarClan."

A murmur of sorrow swept through the Clan cats. Russetpaw didn't say it out loud, but as she gazed at the scrawny Thunderclan cats, she thought that Thornpelt had died from starvation . _At least RiverClan have the lake to get food from._

Russetpaw soon turned her head to watch the ThunderClan leader back up so that Brightstar could speak.

"SkyClan have dealt well with the harsh weather of leaf-bare," Brightstar announced. "We have found enough prey to feed our Clan in this cold season."

 _At least she's not entirely lying,_ thought Russetpaw. Most of the SkyClan cats she could see looked well-fed, but not as healthy as RiverClan. _WindClan and ThunderClan probably struggle the most because their rabbits and mice become thin and scarce in the cold._

"Two sunrises ago we welcomed three new warriors: Hailspots, Redflame, and Cloudpatch. Laurelpaw was also recently made an apprentice, and this is her first Gathering she has attended." Brightstar paused to let the other clans cheer the cats' names. "Poppyheart has given birth to Owlswoop's kits, and they are all healthy and strong. We thank StarClan for all they have provided us." Mews of congratulation greeted the SkyClan cats as Brightstar finished her report.

Amberstar then leaped up to a higher branch on the tree. "This Gathering is now over! Come, ThunderClan," the leader meowed with a flick of her tail. She jumped nimbly off of the tree, landing lightly on the pine needles covering the ground. She turned and saw Russetpaw gazing at her and she returned it with a hard stare. The ginger apprentice flinched, but kept an eye on the ThunderClan leader as she led her clan off the island.

"Russetpaw! Time to leave!" Raventuft called from across clearing. She meowed a quick goodbye to Daisypaw and bounded towards her mentor.

"How was it?" He greeted her with a deep meow.

"It was great! I met so many apprentices!" Russetpaw exclaimed as she told the gray tom about the gathering. Her eyes were brimming with excitement as she spoke.

"Well that's good, but don't get too attached to anyone. You might have to face them in battle someday," Raventuft meowed as he led her off the island.

Russetpaw nodded, but part of her didn't want to listen to her mentor. Daisypaw was her friend. She didn't want to fight her. _But you are loyal to your clan._ The voice was back and hissed in her head. _Daisypaw's not worth it._

The ginger apprentice sighed as she jumped on the tree-bridge and padding across. She shook her head fiercely in an attempt to clear her troubled thoughts. _I must stay loyal to my clan…_


	6. Chapter Four

**Hey! Thanks for reading Shades of Red so far. I hope you liked Chapter Three. And now here's...** **Chapter Four**

"Russetpaw, wake up! We're going to battle train." Ashpaw's brisk meow jolted his sister out of sleep.

"Okay, okay, I'm up," she muttered, stretching lazily in her nest.

She shivered in the cold as she followed the speckled gray apprentice into the clearing. Raventuft and Tinywave were waiting for them, ready to leave.

"I thought you said we didn't need to fight because of the snow," Russetpaw said.

"Well, by the looks of ThunderClan and WindClan, I think we should. Their hunger will make their claws even sharper," he grumbled as he shook some snow out of his thick pelt.

"You both know some simple moves. We want to see how well you do against each other," Tinywave explained as she led the cats out of camp.

Russetpaw drew in the overlapping scents of the forest. The frosty air was clear and crisp. Even in the cold weather, birds happily chirped in the trees above.

Soon, the forest opened up into a small hollow. This was where all the apprentices practiced their battle training.

"Now... let's begin," Raventuft said as he sat down in the center of the clearing. "There are advantages and disadvantages to when you're fighting different clans. They will be different depending on the Clan. Name them."

"Easy," Russetpaw answered confidently. "Shadowclan are clever and they fight well in the night, too, but their pride can make them easy to defeat. Windclan are fast fighters, but they are small and skinny compared to us, and not used to fighting in thick undergrowth. ." Russetpaw held her head up in pride as she answered her mentor. Ashpaw however, was scuffling his paws in the snow.

"Ashpaw, you can talk about Thunderclan and SkyClan," Tinywave prompted, looking at her apprentice expectantly.

"Um, Thunderclan is used to fighting in thick undergrowth, but like the other clans, they can't fight in water like us, and SkyClan fights well in trees and in their own territory, but they don't have the muscle that we have."

The mentors nodded in approval at their apprentices. Raventuft flicked his tail in pride and Russetpaw puffed out her chest.

"Okay. I want to see you in action. Fight now," Raventuft ordered. He paused before adding, "But don't actually hurt your opponent. The last thing we need is for our apprentices to start killing each other."

Russetpaw whipped around and leapt at her brother, landing swift blows on his head and neck before jumping off. Ashpaw spun around, confused, before he saw his sister and hurled at her. But Russetpaw was ready. She noticed that his eyes were fixed on her ears, which told her that he was going for them. Russetpaw immediately dropped into a crouch and felt him sail over her. As Ashpaw landed, she spun around and knocked his paws from under him. Unbalanced and overwhelmed, he crashed into the snow. Russetpaw jumped on Ashpaw and pushed his muzzle into the ground.

"I win!" she meowed triumphantly as she stepped off of her brother. She turned, pride sweeping over her. Her spirits sunk when she looked over and saw Raventuft and Tinywave's expressions. Their eyes were glazed with shock and almost fear as they looked at the ginger apprentice.

"W-what?" Russetpaw stammered in surprise at their reaction. "Did I do something wrong?"

Tinywave shook her head. "Ashpaw, come over here with me and I'll help you with your training. Raventuft, go over to the edge of the hollow and teach Russetpaw some - er, different moves."

Russetpaw walked over to her mentor, but she caught a glimpse of Ashpaw sending her a glare of hatred.

"What?" she repeated loudly to her mentor. "What did I do wrong?"

"Nothing."

"WHAT?"Russetpaw asked, frustrated. She had never seen her mentor like this, and she didn't like not knowing what was going on.

Raventuft sighed in annoyance, like he was talking to a kit that was five days old. "The way you fought… It was like a warrior. Too skilled and quick for a apprentice your age," he meowed to her. "Those moves - I never taught you them. Where did you learn them?"

Russetpaw's eyes widened at the question and her voice shook with surprise as she responded, "I-I don't know. I just followed my instincts."

Raventuft nodded, though his expression was painted with doubt. He beckoned her over to the side of the hollow with his tail.

"I'll teach you some more advanced fighting techniques here," the gray tom meowed. "Watch me do this first move."

Before Russetpaw could respond, her mentor leapt in the air, twisted nimbly, and landed gracefully on the ground. Russetpaw nodded, taking in every little detail he taught her.

"If it was a real fight, I would have landed on the warrior's shoulders. Do it on me."

The ginger apprentice hurled herself up into the air. She twisted like Raventuft had told her, but yelped in surprised when she realized the tom wasn't under her anymore. Instead, he had rolled out of the way.

Swiveling to her left side, she reared on her hind legs and brought herself down on him, but before she could even touch the tom, he rammed into her stomach, knocking the air out of her. She was flung across the hollow and Raventuft pinned her down into the snow.

"You'll have to be quicker than that," he said gruffly, releasing his grip on her. "Don't jump so high into the air. That gave me time to get out of the way. You are not trying to fly."

The mentor and apprenticed trained until sunhigh, and Russetpaw's muscles screamed with exhaustion. At the end of the session, she had just barely managed to pin her mentor down into the snow.

"You did well today," Raventuft told her with a nod of approval. Russetpaw swelled with pride as she padded back to camp with him.

A bush suddenly rustled in front of them. Still excited from the training session, the ginger apprentice jumped with surprise, claws unsheathed.

"Calm down, Russetpaw. It's only me." A cat emerged from the bush, speaking in a soft voice. It was Shellcloud.

"Hello, Shellcloud! What are you doing here?" Russetpaw asked the medicine cat.

"I'm just looking for herbs," she purred, falling in beside the other cats as they headed back to camp. "Catmint especially. We don't want to be unprepared if a cat catches greencough.

"What were you doing?" Shellcloud asked casually.

"Battle training!" Russetpaw's eyes gleamed as she told the she-cat about her exciting day.

Shellcloud nodded. "That must have been fun-" Her meow was cut off by a harsh splintering noise.

Russetpaw looked around wildly, her eyes wide with fear when she realized what was happening. A huge oak tree nearby was falling, its hefty trunk crashing through the forest.

"Run!" Raventuft yowled as he leapt out of the way.

Russetpaw and Shellcloud darted after him into the undergrowth. Then there was a loud crashing sound, followed by an enormous splash. They RiverClan cats turned around, shocked when they saw that the tree had fallen into the river, right where they had been standing before.

Shellcloud stiffened next to Russetpaw, a gasp caught in her throat.

"' _Wind will crush the river…_ '" the tabby murmured.

"What?" Russetpaw asked her anxiously, her claws kneading the ground.

The medicine cat's flanks heaved as she shook her head furiously.

"What?" Russetpaw repeated, even more worried.

"We must get back to camp!" Shellcloud breathed, and then shot off into the forest. **Chapter Four**

"Russetpaw, wake up! We're going to battle train." Ashpaw's brisk meow jolted his sister out of sleep.

"Okay, okay, I'm up," she muttered, stretching lazily in her nest.

She shivered in the cold as she followed the speckled gray apprentice into the clearing. Raventuft and Tinywave were waiting for them, ready to leave.

"I thought you said we didn't need to fight because of the snow," Russetpaw said.

"Well, by the looks of ThunderClan and WindClan, I think we should. Their hunger will make their claws even sharper," he grumbled as he shook some snow out of his thick pelt.

"You both know some simple moves. We want to see how well you do against each other," Tinywave explained as she led the cats out of camp.

Russetpaw drew in the overlapping scents of the forest. The frosty air was clear and crisp. Even in the cold weather, birds happily chirped in the trees above.

Soon, the forest opened up into a small hollow. This was where all the apprentices practiced their battle training.

"Now... let's begin," Raventuft said as he sat down in the center of the clearing. "There are advantages and disadvantages to when you're fighting different clans. They will be different depending on the Clan. Name them."

"Easy," Russetpaw answered confidently. "Shadowclan are clever and they fight well in the night, too, but their pride can make them easy to defeat. Windclan are fast fighters, but they are small and skinny compared to us, and not used to fighting in thick undergrowth. ." Russetpaw held her head up in pride as she answered her mentor. Ashpaw however, was scuffling his paws in the snow.

"Ashpaw, you can talk about Thunderclan and SkyClan," Tinywave prompted, looking at her apprentice expectantly.

"Um, Thunderclan is used to fighting in thick undergrowth, but like the other clans, they can't fight in water like us, and SkyClan fights well in trees and in their own territory, but they don't have the muscle that we have."

The mentors nodded in approval at their apprentices. Raventuft flicked his tail in pride and Russetpaw puffed out her chest.

"Okay. I want to see you in action. Fight now," Raventuft ordered. He paused before adding, "But don't actually hurt your opponent. The last thing we need is for our apprentices to start killing each other."

Russetpaw whipped around and leapt at her brother, landing swift blows on his head and neck before jumping off. Ashpaw spun around, confused, before he saw his sister and hurled at her. But Russetpaw was ready. She noticed that his eyes were fixed on her ears, which told her that he was going for them. Russetpaw immediately dropped into a crouch and felt him sail over her. As Ashpaw landed, she spun around and knocked his paws from under him. Unbalanced and overwhelmed, he crashed into the snow. Russetpaw jumped on Ashpaw and pushed his muzzle into the ground.

"I win!" she meowed triumphantly as she stepped off of her brother. She turned, pride sweeping over her. Her spirits sunk when she looked over and saw Raventuft and Tinywave's expressions. Their eyes were glazed with shock and almost fear as they looked at the ginger apprentice.

"W-what?" Russetpaw stammered in surprise at their reaction. "Did I do something wrong?"

Tinywave shook her head. "Ashpaw, come over here with me and I'll help you with your training. Raventuft, go over to the edge of the hollow and teach Russetpaw some - er, different moves."

Russetpaw walked over to her mentor, but she caught a glimpse of Ashpaw sending her a glare of hatred.

"What?" she repeated loudly to her mentor. "What did I do wrong?"

"Nothing."

"WHAT?"Russetpaw asked, frustrated. She had never seen her mentor like this, and she didn't like not knowing what was going on.

Raventuft sighed in annoyance, like he was talking to a kit that was five days old. "The way you fought… It was like a warrior. Too skilled and quick for a apprentice your age," he meowed to her. "Those moves - I never taught you them. Where did you learn them?"

Russetpaw's eyes widened at the question and her voice shook with surprise as she responded, "I-I don't know. I just followed my instincts."

Raventuft nodded, though his expression was painted with doubt. He beckoned her over to the side of the hollow with his tail.

"I'll teach you some more advanced fighting techniques here," the gray tom meowed. "Watch me do this first move."

Before Russetpaw could respond, her mentor leapt in the air, twisted nimbly, and landed gracefully on the ground. Russetpaw nodded, taking in every little detail he taught her.

"If it was a real fight, I would have landed on the warrior's shoulders. Do it on me."

The ginger apprentice hurled herself up into the air. She twisted like Raventuft had told her, but yelped in surprised when she realized the tom wasn't under her anymore. Instead, he had rolled out of the way.

Swiveling to her left side, she reared on her hind legs and brought herself down on him, but before she could even touch the tom, he rammed into her stomach, knocking the air out of her. She was flung across the hollow and Raventuft pinned her down into the snow.

"You'll have to be quicker than that," he said gruffly, releasing his grip on her. "Don't jump so high into the air. That gave me time to get out of the way. You are not trying to fly."

The mentor and apprentice trained until sunhigh, and Russetpaw's muscles screamed with exhaustion. At the end of the session, she had just barely managed to pin her mentor down into the snow.

"You did well today," Raventuft told her with a nod of approval. Russetpaw swelled with pride as she padded back to camp with him.

A bush suddenly rustled in front of them. Still excited from the training session, the ginger apprentice jumped with surprise, claws unsheathed.

"Calm down, Russetpaw. It's only me." A cat emerged from the bush, speaking in a soft voice. It was Shellcloud.

"Hello, Shellcloud! What are you doing here?" Russetpaw asked the medicine cat.

"I'm just looking for herbs," she purred, falling in beside the other cats as they headed back to camp. "Catmint especially. We don't want to be unprepared if a cat catches greencough.

"What were you doing?" Shellcloud asked casually.

"Battle training!" Russetpaw's eyes gleamed as she told the she-cat about her exciting day.

Shellcloud nodded. "That must have been fun-" Her meow was cut off by a harsh splintering noise.

Russetpaw looked around wildly, her eyes wide with fear when she realized what was happening. A huge oak tree nearby was falling, its hefty trunk crashing through the forest.

"Run!" Raventuft yowled as he leapt out of the way.

Russetpaw and Shellcloud darted after him into the undergrowth. Then there was a loud crashing sound, followed by an enormous splash. They RiverClan cats turned around, shocked when they saw that the tree had fallen into the river, right where they had been standing before.

Shellcloud stiffened next to Russetpaw, a gasp caught in her throat.

"' _Wind will crush the river…_ '" the tabby murmured.

"What?" Russetpaw asked her anxiously, her claws kneading the ground.

The medicine cat's flanks heaved as she shook her head furiously.

"What?" Russetpaw repeated, even more worried.

"We must get back to camp!" Shellcloud breathed, and then shot off into the forest.


	7. Chapter Five

**Hi! I'm so happy so many of you like my story so far! Please enjoy Chapter Five!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own warriors. Erin Hunter has all rights to the warrior world.**

 **Chapter Five**

Russetpaw ran after her, her paws sinking into the snow. _Great StarClan, she's fast!_ Shellcloud had already disappeared in the undergrowth.

"Wait!" Raventuft exclaimed as he sprinted beside his apprentice.

Soon the cats reached the island and slipped into the water. They swam across strongly in pursuit of Shellcloud. The pair then burst through the reeds and collapsed in camp, panting hard.

Tidetail and Creamfur sat to the side, staring at them with surprise and confusion.

"Where's Shellcloud?" Raventuft asked them while glancing wildly around the RiverClan camp.

"She went into Blizzardstar's den as soon as she came into camp." Sweetclaw meowed, padding up to sit next to Tidetail.

Russetpaw noticed that a small crowd of cats had gathered around them, their faces full of anxiousness and curiosity.

"What happened?" A light gray tom named Fishclaw asked.

"A huge tree fell into the river surrounding our camp. Then Shellcloud just ran off," Russetpaw told him.

Worried mutters spread through the camp like wildfire. Russetpaw stiffened, remembering the words that Shellcloud had whispered. ' _Wind will crush the river…'_ The words echoed in her head.

A yowl rang through the clearing as Blizzardstar emerged from his den with Shellcloud behind him.

"Cats of RiverClan!" The white tom meowed. "Gather here for an important message. A tree fell near our camp, nearly crushing Shellcloud, Raventuft, and Russetpaw."

Gasps of shock and worry rippled through the clearing as cats shot each other anxious glances.

Blizzardstar waited for the chaos to calm down before speaking again.

"Luckily, no cats were hurt. However, Shellcloud received an omen from StarClan that supports her vote. She thinks we should take the forest on WindClan's territory."

"What? But you saw how weak WindClan was at the Gathering! Do you really think they are a threat?" Sweetclaw challenged.

"Would you really speak against StarClan's will?" Minnowtail's low growl sounded from across the clearing.

Sweetclaw looked down at her paws, but the anger blazing in her orange eyes had not faded. Russetpaw stared at her with interest. _Why was she so quick to defend WindClan?_ The thought swirled in her mind, but she quickly forgot about it when Blizzardstar began to speak again.

"Before we attack, I would like to send a patrol to WindClan to ask for the territory." The tom's husky mew rang out in the clearing. "Minnowtail will lead it and take Puddlespots, Raventuft, Gingerflame, and Russetpaw."

The ginger apprentice's paws tingled with excitement. _I was_

 _picked to go!_ The excitement swirled around her and pushed away the doubts she had a second ago.

"It's only because Blizzardstar takes pity on you, _Russetpaw!"_ A loud sneer sounded behind her. Ashpaw had spat her name like it was poison.

Russetpaw flattened her ears against her head and gave him a hard glare. "If Blizzardstar was taking pity on any cat, he would have picked you, Ash _kit."_

The gray and white tom fluffed out his fur in rage and drew his lips back in a snarl. Menace filled his gaze as he swiped out a paw and gave Russetpaw a hard blow to the muzzle.

Russetpaw's eyes widened in shock at her brother. He didn't unsheathe his claws, but her nose ached. _Did he just do that?_ Anger tore through her veins as she growled at her brother. Ashpaw just sat there, a satisfied smirk plastered across his face.

"Russetpaw! Let's go!" Minnowtail called impatiently.

"This isn't over," she meowed threatenly to her brother as she turned around.

"I wouldn't expect it to be." His smooth meow irritated her even more as she stomped towards the patrol.

Minnowtail was sitting anxiously next to Raventuft, who was kneading his claws into the ground. Like usually, Puddlespots sat calm as a vixen next to an overly excited Gingerflame.

"Let's go!'' the gray deputy meowed briskly and sped off into the river. Russetpaw fell in besides Gingerflame as Raventuft and Puddlespots took up the rear. The cats panted as the icy water swished through their fur.

"Isn't this fun?" Gingerflame exclaimed, her eyes bright with excitement. Her fluffy tail whisked back and forth in the cold breeze as she shook out her orange fur, spraying water everywhere.

"Yes!" Russetpaw made an effort to stay calm, even though she was just as excited as her warrior friend.

The trees began to thin out soon enough, and then only the moors of WindClan were visible, shining underneath the horizon. The stream splashed around her pelt as they crossed the WindClan border.

"Why don't we just walk to their camp?" Russetpaw asked Raventuft anxiously when the patrol came to a halt.

"That would be a sign of a threat, and it would cause suspicion," Minnowtail answered. "We should wait for them to lead us to their camp themselves."

Before Russetpaw could protest, strong wafts of WindClan scent swept towards them. Russetpaw squinted against the sun and saw a patrol of WindClan cats. She recognized Buzzardcry, Sleekwind, Dashfoot, and Quickpaw.

 _Such a small patrol…_ Russetpaw's thoughts echoed in her head as the WindClan cats drew closer.

"Greetings, Minnowtail." Buzzardcry mewed curtly to the RiverClan deputy. "Why do you dare trespass on WindClan land?"

Buzzardcry flicked his tail and the WindClan cats surrounded them quickly. Despite their bristling fur, their eyes shone dully and were glazed with hunger.

"We have a message for Aspenstar," Minnowtail responded politely.

"Well, then tell us and we'll tell her. Fox-hearted cowards!" Quickpaw spat at them, his short, matted gray fur fluffed up in the harsh wind.

"Why would I tell you something meant for your leader's ears?" Minnowtail objected. She then looked to Buzzardcry.

The lithe black tom narrowed his eyes but then nodded slowly. "Sleekwind, Quickpaw. You finish the patrol. RiverClan, stay with me." Buzzardcry led the RiverClan patrol across the moor with Dashfoot at the rear.

Russetpaw snorted. _Two cats on a patrol?_ What if RiverClan had placed an ambush at the border?

 _How can cats live like this?_ Russetpaw could barely hear her thoughts over the roaring wind. The lack of cover on the snow covered hills gave her a twinge of unease in her belly. She would much rather live under the trees and listen to the calm trickle of the flowing river.

The WindClan scent grew stronger as the patrol drew nearer to the camp. _Their camp is well protected,_ Russetpaw thought as she jumped down into the clearing. _A cat could break its neck if it fell into it._

Anxious murmurs and hostile glances were sent towards the RiverClan patrol as they stood in the center of the clearing.

Buzzardcry disappeared into a large gap in a rock. _That must be Aspenstar's den._ Russetpaw flicked her ear when the yellow she-cat emerged from the den.

"What do you want?" Aspenstar almost spat the words, her eyes burning and her fur fluffed up.

Despite Aspenstar's efforts, she could tell that the WindClan leader was in bad shape. Aspenstar's fur was in mats and her eyes had a crazed light to them. _She'll make the journey to StarClan soon._

"We have come to ask for a strip of territory. The little patch of trees on your side of the river." Minnowtail told her politely. "You can hand it over now or we'll take it by force."

Aspenstar hesitated. Her eyes flashed with doubt. She turned and looked at her clan for a second. The WindClan cat were meowing anxiously, their fear-scent mixing into the air.

"Do you really think you can threaten me in my own camp and get away with it?" The leader snarled, whipping around to face the RiverClan patrol. "We accept your challenge."

"Of course," Minnowtail nodded. "We'll meet you at the border at dawn tomorrow."

"What?"

"So soon?"

"RiverClan never fought with fairness!"

Gasps and nervous meows rose from the WindClan cats. Apart from all the noise, Buzzardcry seemed to remain calm and padded up to his leader. He leaned in and whispered something in Aspenstar's gray, tufted ear.

"What?" The skinny, gray she-cat sound outraged. "I am the leader here, not you! I make the decisions for the clan!"

Buzzardcry looked taken back and widened his eyes at Aspenstar. Then he looked at his paws and gave a quick, embarrassed nod.

 _He must have asked for her to give us the territory!_ Russetpaw thought as she stood in WindClan camp. _Great StarClan, Aspenstar is fierce._

"Well then," Minnowtail waved her tail for her patrol to start leaving. "We'll be on our way."

"Wait!" Aspenstar stopped them quickly. "Flashtail, Runningblaze, and Blueshine will escort you to the border."

Russetpaw saw Gingerflame flatten her ears, and heard Raventuft let out a small growl as the three warriors surrounded them. The cats than walked out of camp with the stares of a whole clan creeping after them.

The patrol trekked across the snowy moor in silence. No cat spoke a word. The cold wind flattened Russetpaw's fur uncomfortably as she followed Minnowtail out of WindClan territory. She let out a quick sigh of relief when she saw the border line up ahead.

"We can find our way back from here," the RiverClan deputy meowed to Flashtail. "Thank you."

The lithe yellow tom narrowed his eyes for a second before nodding slowly. "Then we'll see you at dawn, mange-pelts," he sneered as the RiverClan cats turned back to their own territory.

Russetpaw's fur bristled at the senior WindClan warrior's words, but Raventuft smoothed her pelt down with his tail.

"Don't let them get to you," he told her as they crossed the border into their territory.

She grunted defiantly and peeked back to look for the WindClan patrol. The swift-footed cats were gone and only bare landscape was left.

 _Fish-brains! They didn't even make sure that we were completely gone!_ She snorted as the group slowed.Her paws were thankful of the lack of snow as a result of the large, looming tree above them. The WindClan moor was completely bare, and Russetpaw thanked StarClan that she didn't live there.

"We should hurry. The clan will be making preparations for the battle," Puddlespots meowed impatiently, her tail flicking behind her.

Minnowtail nodded and took the lead again through the frozen forest. Her smaller frame looked frail and maybe weak as Raventuft's stocky, muscular figure trotted behind.

 _Is Minnowtail really fit to fight in this battle?_


	8. Chapter Six

**Hey! Hoped you enjoyed Chapter Five! Now time for Chapter Six!**

 **Chapter Six**

The patrol padded into camp swiftly and Minnowtail reported straight to Blizzardstar, who paced restlessly in front of his den. He bounded up to his deputy when he saw her and flicked his tail to beckon Tidetail, Stripedpelt, and Dimfur into a tunnel underneath the gathering rock.

"Russetpaw!" Sparkpaw called from across the clearing.

Russetpaw glanced expectantly at Raventuft, in case her mentor wanted to tell her anything else. The dark tabby nodded towards Sparkpaw.

"Go ahead. Eat some prey while you're at it. You must be hungry from trekking all the way to the WindClan camp and back," he told her gruffly.

Russetpaw bounded across camp towards her friend, the Clan buzzing around her. Every cat seemed to be making preparations for the upcoming battle. Lizardstripe and Fishclaw drilled some of the younger warriors and apprentices battle moves while Shellcloud was out organizing her herbs that were the best at healing battle wounds.

"So, what did WindClan say?" Sparkpaw meowed impatiently when Russetpaw reached her. The ginger-and-white apprentice's eyes were shining with excitement.

"They accepted the challenge of a battle for the territory," Russetpaw meowed, "But I swear to StarClan, Aspenstar is going crazy. She started growling at her own warriors!"

Sparkpaw nodded, and her whiskers twitched in amusement, "She's the oldest leader in the clans, you know, and probably the proudest, too."

"And I thought ShadowClan was proud!" Russetpaw exclaimed.

Then Russetpaw directed the conversation back to the battle.

"What did you do while I was gone? Do you know who is going to fight?" Russetpaw questioned her friend. She wanted to know if Sparkpaw was fighting in the battle, or more importantly, if she herself was.

The fellow apprentice shrugged. "Rockwillow and Tinywave had me and Ashpaw run through some battle moves, so maybe us two."

"Is Flamepaw fighting?" Russetpaw asked as Sparkpaw began to lead her to a reed patch where Ashpaw was sitting down with a trout in his jaws.

"No. Actually, I visited him this morning," She meowed, her voice a bit troubled. "Shellcloud said that his shoulder is dislocated. She fixed it, but he shouldn't be training for about a moon."

Guilt clawed at Russetpaw's belly at this news. _This is Flamepaw's first battle, and I'm the reason why he can't fight._

Russetpaw padded over to sit by her brother, though she felt a bit uneasy around him. He was the one who had nearly clawed her muzzle that morning. However, Ashpaw spoke to her with the emotion his sister did not expect.

"Want some?" The gray apprentice asked, pushing the huge fish closer to his sister.

Russetpaw's eyes widened at his words, but she just nodded and took a bite of the trout. _Maybe things are getting better between us._

The two apprentices polished off the prey quickly. By then, the sun was lowering below the treetops.

Yawning, Russetpaw stretched and then headed towards her den before a loud call made her stop in her tracks.

"All cats old enough to swim gather around for a clan meeting!" Blizzardstar's sharp yowl echoed in the clearing as the clan began to gather around the rock he stood tall on.

"By now, you all probably know that WindClan has accepted our challenge to fight. We will battle them tomorrow at dawn." Blizzardstar's husky meow boomed in the clearing.

"I have spoken to Minnowtail and my other senior warriors about our battle plan. We will take three smaller patrols to attack, while one larger patrol waits to chase the last of them off."

Yowls of approval and excitement met his words as night fell over camp.

"Rest and eat now. All I ask is that you be ready for tomorrow, warriors!" Then, to signal that he was done, Blizzardstar jumped off of the rock, his firm muscles rippling under his white pelt.

"Aren't you excited?" Sparkpaw was almost bouncing off the camp walls because Rockwillow had come only a few moments ago to her to let Sparkpaw know that she would be in the fight.

"Has Raventuft told you anything yet?" Ashpaw meowed anxiously, since Tinywave hadn't spoken to him, either.

Russetpaw was about to shake her head when Raventuft and Tinywave padded up to the group of apprentices.

"Russetpaw! I spoke to Blizzardstar, and he said you and Ashpaw can be in one of the patrols in the the battle tomorrow!" Even her abrupt mentor seemed to be excited at this news.

Russetpaw's heart skipped a beat. _My first battle!_ She couldn't wait for dawn to break through the sky. _I wonder which patrol I will be on… will I be with Sparkpaw and Ashpaw? But either way, I'm going to fight like all of TigerClan! Not that WindClan is that much competition, though… but what if they do win? No, that won't happen - we have warriors like Raventuft and Tinywave and Acornpelt…_ Thoughts about tomorrow filled the apprentice's head, making her dizzy.

Beside her, Ashpaw's eyes were shining with anticipation and excitement. His fluffed up tail was lashing impatiently.

Tinywave purred at the two siblings' excitement. She flicked her tail over Ashpaw's ears. "I remember my first battle. I was so excited I could hardly contain myself, too."

Russetpaw tried to picture a young Tinywave. It was hard since she was still about the size of an older apprentice. _It really is difficult to imagine such noble warriors as boisterous young cats…_

"You three should get some rest. You'll face many fierce warriors in the battle tomorrow, and you need to be ready," Raventuft ordered them. The excitement from him had left and his face was stiff with seriousness once again.

Russetpaw nodded and followed Sparkpaw and Ashpaw into the apprentice's den across the clearing. The three of them ducked through the reed tunnel entrance and curled up in beds of moss and ferns.

"I can't wait for tomorrow!" Sparkpaw exclaimed. Ashpaw nodded in agreement as he curled into a ball of gray fur.

Russetpaw sank into her nest and rested her head on her paws, her fluffy ginger tail curled around her to keep her warm.

Sparkpaw and Ashpaw's breathing soon slowed and Russetpaw knew they were already asleep. She was left alone in the dark with her thoughts.

 _I can't wait to show everyone how much I've improved…_ she thought, flexing her claws into her nest.

The sounds of night swirled around her, making her eyes heavy and muscles tired. _I'll protect RiverClan with everything I have…_

Russetpaw woke up with a jolt of excitement racing through her body. She jumped up eagerly, ready to fight off the WindClan flea-brains that were stealing _her_ territory.

Russetpaw looked around. Ashpaw's nest was empty, but Sparkpaw was still curled in hers.

"Sparkpaw! Wake up!" Russetpaw prodded her friend impatiently.

"What is it?" Sparkpaw looked around groggily. "Can't a cat get more sleep?"

"Sparkpaw! The battle is today!" Russetpaw meowed with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

The ginger and white apprentice immediately jumped out of her nest, tail lashing.

"Why didn't you say so?" she exclaimed, slipping out of the den in one swift movement. Russetpaw rolled her eyes and followed her out into the clearing.

Most of RiverClan was already awake, eating, talking, or reviewing battle moves.

Russetpaw caught sight of Ashpaw, who was helping Shellcloud roll herbs into bundles. She guessed that they were probably marigold and horsetail, the best herbs to stop infection.

Stripedpelt padded into camp with Sweetclaw, Sunblaze, and Rockwillow. All four had prey clamped firmly in their jaws.

 _Early hunting patrol…_ Russetpaw thought. _RiverClan need to keep up their strength if they want to win._

"Hey, you two!" Russetpaw and Sparkpaw turned to see Tidetail padding up to them. "Go ahead and take some prey to the elders' den, Shellcloud, and the queens in the nursery."

Russetpaw and Sparkpaw shared an annoyed look.

"It's right before a battle and we're still doing stupid apprentice chores!" Sparkpaw huffed bitterly.

"You'll do those tasks whether you like it or not," Tidetail grunted, his white tail tip twitching.

Russetpaw sighed and nodded. Tidetail was _not_ a warrior that she would want to mess with. She watched him as he padded across the clearing to talk to Dovesong, probably to complain about some pesky apprentices.

"I'll get the prey for Shellcloud and the queens." Russetpaw turned back to Sparkpaw, who still looked irritated. "You do the elders."

Her ginger-and-white friend agreed, but still stomped off muttering under her breath.

Russetpaw bounded up to the fresh-kill pile and pulled a plump fish off of it. _This will feed Shellcloud and Flamepaw…_ she thought as she carried the prey towards the medicine cat clearing.

"Oh, hello, Russetpaw!" Shellcloud greeted her with a friendly purr. Russetpaw narrowed her eyes, there was something about the silver tabby that seemed uneasy. Her eyes flicked back and forth. The ginger apprentice also noticed this when she was with Shellcloud when the tree fell. The silver tabby was busy placing some extra herbs back in their piles. "Need anything?"

"Not really. I just brought you and Flamepaw some prey," Russetpaw meowed, glancing at the ginger tom sitting in his nest. "Can I talk to him?"

"Of course," Shellcloud answered.

"Hey, Flamepaw. How are you?" Russetpaw approached him cautiously. _Does he blame me for the accident?_

"Hi Russetpaw!" Flamepaw purred as he drew a paw over a ginger ear. "I'm good. I just needed some sleep."

"How's your shoulder?"

"Oh, Shellcloud put it back into place. It's just a bit sore," he meowed. "Not good enough to support me yet, though. But, um, are you excited for the battle? I'm sure you're fighting, because I know how good you are at fighting and stuff…"

Flamepaw was fidgeting in his nest, oddly embarrassed. Russetpaw stared at him, completely puzzled by his behavior. _What happened to the fun-loving Flamepaw that I used to know?_ She nodded an awkward goodbye to him and padded away. Russetpaw could feel his blue gaze burning into her as she left the den. It made her squirm uncomfortably under her pelt.

When Russetpaw walked out of the medicine cat clearing, she was greeted by a cheerful Acornpelt. _Why…?_

"Hey, Russetpaw!" he purred. There was a certain look in his eyes that made her pelt prickle awkwardly.

"How are you, Acornpelt?" Russetpaw couldn't control herself, and her meow came out sounding bashful.

 _What is wrong with me?_ She scolded herself fiercely.

Russetpaw locked her gaze with Acornpelt's and found herself admiring his amber eyes. They were so warm and full of… The apprentice couldn't recognize the emotion, but she could swear that she saw it in his gaze.

"Well, gotta go…" Acornpelt flicked his tail over her ear playfully and padded away.

Russetpaw sat, watching him go, her heart wrenched with longing. _Longing for what?_ She was left alone with her thoughts.

"I knew it!" Sparkpaw's teasing meow caused Russetpaw to lose her train of thought.

"What?" Russetpaw looked around expectantly. "What's wrong?"

"I know that look. You like Acornpelt!" Her friend purred happily.

"Yeah. He's a good friend," Russetpaw responded, confused.

"You clearly know nothing about being a she-cat." Sparkpaw rolled her eyes, and her whiskers twitched with amusement. "Open your eyes, Russetpaw! You like Acornpelt as someone who is more than a friend, and he likes you back!"

Russetpaw grew hot under her pelt. _Is Sparkpaw correct?_ Her friend definitely had more experience with toms, but Russetpaw wasn't sure she was right. _Do I really like him in that way, and more importantly, does he feel the same way?_

Sparkpaw was still purring next to her. "Oh, and I took care of the queens and kits for you, since you seemed _busy_." Her friend nudged her playfully and then bounced off to talk to Rockwillow.

Russetpaw sat there for a moment, thinking over what had just happened. _What am I supposed to do? Confront him?_ she shook her head vigorously. _No, that's not right… what would Sparkpaw do?_ Russetpaw sighed and looked around, startled to see Raventuft standing behind her.

"Good; you're up," he growled. Russetpaw rolled her eyes at his bluntness. "Blizzardstar is about to announce the battle patrols. You'll want to be there for that."

Russetpaw pushed Acornpelt out of her mind and followed her mentor closer to the cats gathering around, waiting for Blizzardstar. Eventually, the white tom slipped out of his den and leapt on the rock.

"Cats of RiverClan! It is time to take what is rightfully ours!"

RiverClan cheered eagerly into the crisp air.

"As you know, we will attack with four patrols. I'll lead the first one, which will attack on the front. The cats in the patrol with me will be Fishclaw, Acornpelt, Raventuft, and Russetpaw."

The ginger apprentice's fur tingled with excitement. She was on the leader's patrol!

"Minnowtail's patrol will attack on the right side with Dimfur, Puddlespots, Rockwillow, and Sparkpaw. Tidetail will lead the left patrol with Stripedpelt, Gingerflame, Tinywave and Ashpaw. Mistyfeather, Lizardstripe, Palenose, Sunblaze, Sweetclaw, and Shimmertail will wait at the ridge and drive the last of WindClan off of the territory that is ours!"

The cats of RiverClan began to divide themselves into their patrols. When everything was settled, Blizzardstar leaped off of the rock and darted out of camp with his Clan streaming after him.

Russetpaw was hard on Raventuft's paws as she swam strongly across the stream surrounding the camp. She tried to ignore Acornpelt, who was right beside her, their fur brushing together.

Blizzardstar's patrol soon reached the border with WindClan and slipped into the river separating their territory with RiverClan.

Russetpaw looked around, hoping the spot some WindClan cats. Her rivals were nowhere to be found, but strong wafts of their scent told her that they were hiding near by.

Blizzardstar flicked his tail for the cats to split up. Minnowtail led her cats towards the right and Tidetail hide in the bushes with his patrol. Russetpaw, Fishclaw, Acornpelt, and Raventuft followed Blizzardstar out into the open, leaving Mistyfeather, Lizardstripe, Palenose, Sunblaze, Sweetclaw, and Shimmertail at the top of the ridge.

"I see you've finally arrived." A low growl sounded from across the clearing and Aspenstar emerged from the undergrowth with several warriors behind her.

"Well, well, well. Look who's here…" Blizzardstar snarled, his fur fluffed up and his eyes blazing.

"I can't believe you fox-hearts were this rabbit-brained!" The WindClan leader spat.

Russetpaw's fur bristled in rage. _How dare they?_

Her leader snarled in anger and then let out a fierce battle cry.

"RiverClan attack!"

"WindClan attack!"

The two leaders signaled their clans at the same time as they leapt into battle, claws extended.


	9. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

Russetpaw screeched as sharp claws ripped down her flanks. She spun around to meet her attacker, but the space in front of her was empty. Pain then seared through her as more claws raked down on her body again. Russetpaw caught a glimpse of gray fur ducking down to nip at her forepaws. _I've had enough of this._

She reared on her hind legs to see a gray tom, whom she recognized as Dashfoot. Her she looked at him, studying the tom for a moment. _He's obviously quick and very skilled._ Russetpaw then realized that even as an apprentice, she was bigger than him and much stronger. _I just have to catch him. Then I can overpower him easily._

The apprentice snarled and started to flash her claws at him, the sound of battle roaring in her ears. Dashfoot easily dodged them. The ginger she-cat let out a growl of frustration as the WindClan warrior began to land his own blows on her. She hardly managed to duck as Dashfoot's lightning fast paws flew towards her. Panic rose in her throat as she noticed that her attacker was driving her backwards into the undergrowth.

 _Wait… I am more adapted to dense forest than he is. I can use this to my advantage!_

Russetpaw smirked and allowed herself to slip farther into a mess of brambles. Thorns tugged at her thick ginger fur, but she knew her WindClan opponent was having even more trouble than her.

The apprentice guessed correctly. Dashfoot jumped clumsily into the bush, letting out hisses of annoyance as the bramble prickles collected in his pelt.

Russetpaw began to land well-aimed blows on him, shredding his ears before darting out of range of any attacks that he could land on her. Dashfoot grunted with pain and then regained himself. The gray tom suddenly shot forward and fastened his teeth in one of her paws.

Russetpaw gasped at the pain as she felt her bones crunch between his jaws. She pulled back fiercely, ripping her paw from his grip. Her wounds stung, but Russetpaw didn't care. With anger pulsing through her, she lashed out a paw, snagging Dashfoot's shoulder in her claws.

 _Finally,_ she thought with satisfaction. Now she easily overpowered Dashfoot, forcefully throwing him to the ground. Russetpaw pounced on him, digging her claws into his shoulders while his blood welled up around her paws.

Dashfoot attempted to squirm out of her tight grip. He left his belly slightly exposed and Russetpaw seized the opportunity without hesitation. She tore through his soft, exposed fur with her hind claws, gray fur and blood spraying everywhere.

The scrawny tom was soon yowling for mercy and Russetpaw released him. She flicked her ear in satisfaction as he fled into the undergrowth, leaving little drops of blood in his trail.

Before she could turn back to the battle, she examined her paw. It was swollen and red where Dashfoot had sunk his fangs into it. Russetpaw gingerly placed it on the ground and sighed with relief when it only felt a bit sore.

"Really think you can win that easily?" a cat suddenly hissed in her ear.

Russetpaw whipped around to see a silver she-cat. Russetpaw instantly remembered Silverpaw.

Silverpaw hurled herself at Russetpaw and landed forcefully on her back, pushing her paws into the apprentice's shoulders.

" _Your legs are can be one of your greatest allies in battle,"_ Raventuft's voice hissed in the back of her head. Grunting, Russetpaw pushed up with her front paws with all her strength. Quickly the WindClan cat slipped off of her. She twisted nimbly, clawing her opponent's ears. Silverpaw hissed in pain and turned around. Again she attempted to attack Russetpaw by slithering under her belly.

Russetpaw knew this trick well. She jumped away and whipped around. Silverpaw's tail whisked in front of her and the ginger she-cat grabbed it in her jaws.

Russetpaw bit down hard. She could feel her teeth touch bone as Silverpaw howled in pain. Russetpaw then leapt on her back, forcing her down, but Silverpaw shoved the ginger apprentice upwards, causing the two cats to tumble out of the undergrowth.

Russetpaw yowled as the two dropped over a ridge and rolled down a hill. The enemies clung onto each other as snow covered their fur. The ginger apprentice let herself roll, giving her extra weight to Silverpaw. The lithe tabby struggled against Russetpaw.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the bottom of the hill nearing. Grunting, she pushed with her forepaws and tumbled to a halt as Silverpaw kept going, only to slam head-on into a boulder.

The WindClan cat was still and a trickle of blood dripped from her forehead. Russetpaw froze. _Did I just kill her?_ She was about to take a step forward when Silverpaw suddenly jumped to her paws.

"Get out!" snarled the gray she-cat. Russetpaw growled back, but on the inside she was relieved to know that Silverpaw was okay. She jumped forward, letting her claws scrape the WindClan cat's pelt before Silverpaw sped back towards her territory.

Panting from effort, Russetpaw regained her strength and limped back to the thick of the battle.

She gasped at the gruesome sight before her. The apprentice could hardly tell which cats were her clanmates. Claws and teeth flashed everywhere as WindClan and RiverClan fought.

Seconds later, Tidetail and Runningblaze rolled by, their claws clinging to each other's pelts as their lips drew back in snarls. Russetpaw caught a glimpse of Tinywave and Raventuft fighting side by side, clawing countless WindClan warriors. They timed their slashes, fighting with an incredible rhythm that sent their opponents fleeing. Sparkpaw, Ashpaw, and Gingerflame were chasing off four WindClan warriors with fresh wounds that they were sure to not forget.

"I didn't know RiverClan let _kits_ come to battle." A mocking sneer made Russetpaw turn to see Flashtail, a senior Windclan warrior.

She growled, rage pulsing through her. _I'm not a kit!_

Rearing on his hind legs, Flashtail began to land hard blows on her muzzle. Blood sprayed into Russetpaw's eyes as his claws sliced her nose.

Russetpaw hissed as pain scored through her. She dove forward, trying to nip at Flashtail's paws, but the older tom was faster than she expected. In seconds he was behind her, clawing at her hind legs.

Snow clung to Russetpaw's thick fur as Flashtail flipped her over. She protected her belly with her paws, making sure she didn't make the same mistake Dashfoot did.

Flashtail snarled in her face and then raked his claws down her shoulder. She yowled in pain as her ginger fur came out in clumps. Russetpaw could feel blood well up, soaking her pelt crimson.

The light ginger tom leaned forward, his jaws near her neck. Russetpaw's green eyes widened in horror. _He's going to kill me!_ She squeezed her eyes shut while she braced herself for the killing bite.

Moments passed and nothing happened. The weight that had been pressing down on her was lifted off of her chest. Russetpaw flashed her eyes open and blinked in surprise.

Flashtail was a few tail lengths away in a brown tabby's tight grip. _Acornpelt…_ Russetpaw's heart softened as she watched her clanmate claw the WindClan warrior to shreds.

Realizing that she should help, the ginger apprentice jumped to Acornpelt's side. She leaned slightly on his shoulder, favoring her injured paw. The two cats slashed and clawed Flashtail. She could see the panic blazing in the warrior's eyes as their blows grew stronger and harder.

Before Acornpelt and Russetpaw could finish Flashtail, a loud yowl rang through the battlefield.

 _Blizzardstar's signal for the last patrol!_

Russetpaw felt dizzy with relief as the patrol of fresh RiverClan cats poured into the clearing.

She caught a glimpse of Aspenstar's expression, her eyes blazing with shock. Anger and rage soon replaced that as she saw her clanmates being penetrated by RiverClan.

"WindClan, retreat!" The yellow she-cat screeched.

Flashtail darted off into the bushes, towards his camp, along with most of his clanmates.

Russetpaw was about to turn and let out a triumphant yowl when Aspenstar turned to look at the her rivals one last time.

"This battle ended with losses to both clans." She snarled and then turned to run back to her own territory.

 _What does she mean?_ Russetpaw looked around and saw her clanmates gather in a small circle. _What happened?_

She slowly padded over and peeked over Sweetclaw's shoulder, who had her white and brown head bowed.

Russetpaw gasped at the sight. A small, limp, gray ball of fur lay in the snow, battered and stained with blood. Her veins turned to ice as she realized who this was.

"Minnowtail!" She breathed and pushed her nose into the deputy's cold fur.


	10. Chapter Eight

**Hey Guys! Sorry I haven't been updating lately. I've been really busy, but I hope you enjoy Chapter Eight! From now on I will try to post every Saturday and possibly early Sunday morning. Remember to review!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own warriors. All rights go to Erin Hunter for creating the warrior world.**

 **Chapter Eight**

Russetpaw sat quietly in the snowy clearing at RiverClan camp. Most of her clanmates had gathered around to sit vigil for Minnowtail. The only cats not there were Flamepaw, who was still recovering, Creamfur, a queen bloated with kits, and Sweetclaw and Palenose, who were severely injured in the battle.

"Do you need me to treat your injuries?" A soft voice made Russetpaw turn to see Shellcloud with a bundle of herbs in her jaws.

"Yes, please. Can you check my paw?" The apprentice asked and gingerly held out the wound so the medicine cat could see it.

Shellcloud sniffed it and then pushed her nose gently to her swollen pad. Russetpaw winced as pain shot through her.

"It's sprained," Shellcloud concluded. "I'll wrap it up for you, but you need to stay off of it for a while. Check in with me every day so I can replace the bandage and see how you are healing." Russetpaw nodded as she watched Shellcloud put some kind of pulp onto her paw. She then wrapped it in comfrey leaves.

The silver tabby rubbed some herbs into Russetpaw's other scratches. "I'll need to replace these herbs every day, as well." Russetpaw watched Shellcloud as she spread horsetail onto her last wound. Her body seemed stiff and she moved around the apprentice with caution. _Is there something wrong with me? Or is Shellcloud just acting strange because of the battle?_

She shook her head, knowing that the medicine cat was probably just stressed from caring for the entire clan's injuries.

Glancing up, Russetpaw realized that the sun was sinking low under the horizon and the moon was slowly rising on the other side of the sky. _Blizzardstar has to appoint a new deputy soon…_ she realized. The ginger apprentice looked around, trying to find the leader.

Blizzardstar was across the clearing with grief glowing in his clear eyes. _I heard Minnowtail was a good friend of his. He's obviously really affected by her death._

Sighing, Russetpaw stood up and padded up to Sparkpaw. She hadn't spoken to her friend since before the battle.

"How are you?" Russetpaw meowed as she touched noses with the ginger-and-white apprentice.

"I'm good. I only got a few scratches," her friend replied, flicking her tail. "What about you?"

"Same as you, a few wounds. I sprained my paw," Russetpaw said. "And I'm really exhausted."

"Who do you think will be the new deputy?" Sparkpaw asked, turning to gaze at her mourning clan.

"Well, we have a lot of good warriors. I think it's between Tidetail, Rockwillow, and Tinywave." The dark ginger cat meowed, pointing her tail at the cats she named.

Sparkpaw nodded slowly, "Not Raventuft?"

Russetpaw's whiskers twitched a bit. "Raventuft makes a good warrior, but he has such a short temper that I don't think he could handle it for a day!"

The apprentices purred with amusement at Russetpaw's remark.

"Well, why do you think Tidetail, Rockwillow, and Tinywave seem like good cats for the role?" Sparkpaw inquired, glancing at the warriors.

"Well, Tidetail certainly has lots of experience, and the clan really respects him. The only downside is that he is getting old," Russetpaw meowed, watching the black-and-white warrior from across camp. "Rockwillow has less experience than Tidetail, but more experience than Tinywave, and she is still young. She is very fair and makes good decisions. Tinywave is very energetic and attached to her clanmates, which gives her an advantage. She is always ready for anything."

"Which one do you want to be deputy?" Sparkpaw asked.

Russetpaw could have gone on and on about who she thought should be deputy, but a sudden meow rang out before she could answer.

"All cats old enough to catch their own fish must join me now for a clan meeting!" yowled Blizzardstar.

"Blizzardstar! He's going to announce the deputy!" Come on, Russetpaw!" Sparkpaw cried ecstatically.

Slowly, the tired, grieving clan cats rose to their paws and gathered around their great leader.

"We fought a harsh battle today and I am proud of all of you. We won! That territory is now ours."

Happy yowls rose into the sky after Blizzardstar spoke.

"With joyful news also comes sad news. During the battle, we lost our beloved deputy, Minnowtail." Russetpaw could tell that her leader could barely choke out the words.

"So, I must appoint a new deputy," Blizzardstar continued slowly. "I Blizzardstar, leader of RiverClan, say these words before the body of Minnowtail so she may approve my choice before her journey to StarClan."

Every eye in the Clan was focused on the pure white tom as he spoke. _Who will be the new deputy?_ The question seemed to hang in the crisp air as Blizzardstar continued.

"The new deputy of RiverClan will be Tinywave."

Russetpaw glanced at Tinywave, who seemed to be in utter shock and surprise. However, her stiff, awkward movement was quickly replaced with determination, fearlessly glowing in her eyes.

"This is an honor, Blizzardstar. I promise I will serve RiverClan to the best of my ability!" The blue-silver cat meowed, about to burst with pride.

"Minnowtail now lives among the stars, but RiverClan still lives on with our new deputy!" Blizzardstar yowl seemed to strike new strength into his cats.

"Tinywave! Tinywave! Tinywave!" Russetpaw cheered along with her clanmates, welcoming their new deputy with warm cries of congratulations.

Sparkpaw and Russetpaw were about to turn back to sit with Minnowtail's body when Raventuft stalked up to them.

Russetpaw narrowed her eyes at her mentor, whose eyes seemed to be blazing with anger. _Shouldn't he be happy? Tinywave is his sister after all…_

"You two don't have to sit with Minnowtail, since you weren't very close to her," He huffed, clearly in rage. "You can go ahead and get in your nests."

Russetpaw nodded stiffly and followed Sparkpaw into her den. She shot a quick glance at Raventuft to see him slip into the warrior's den. The apprentice's heart sank quickly, remembering that Minnowtail had been Raventuft's mentor _._ _Why isn't he sitting vigil for her? What in the name of StarClan could Raventuft possibly be doing at night that is more important than respecting his dead mentor?_

Russetpaw pushed her thoughts away as she yawned sleepily. _I'll worry about this later…_ She grunted and slipped into her nest next to Sparkpaw. Ashpaw was already curled up in his nest, sound asleep.

Curling into a small ball, Russetpaw listened to the sounds of night. An owl hooted and she could hear the calm trickle of the stream's flowing water.

Usually these sounds would lull her to sleep quickly, but Russetpaw found herself wide awake. She fidgeted with the moss in her nest, churning up her bed.

Russetpaw tossed and turned for a while, trying to close her eyes for the night. _I'm exhausted, so why can't I sleep?_

Sighing, the ginger cat drew herself out of her nest and slipped out of the den silently.

She gulped in several mouthfuls of the crisp, chilly air. Russetpaw gazed up at Silverpelt. The mass of twinkling stars seemed to keep her at ease. _I wonder if Minnowtail is up there now, looking down at our camp. Maybe my father, too._

Russetpaw inhaled deeply as she thought of her father. Of course, she had never known who he was. Many cats in the clan had told her that it was Hailfall, some warrior that had disappeared before she was kitted. Mistyfeather had never told her and Ashpaw anything, so Russetpaw was skeptical. _My father must be out there somewhere… either in the stars or somewhere else._

"Can't sleep?" A familiar meow made Russetpaw whip around, startled.

"Oh, hey, Acornpelt," she meowed, embarrassment welling up inside of her. "Um, yeah, I couldn't - so I came out here."

To her surprise, a purr rose in his throat. "Neither can I. I just can't get comfortable."

Russetpaw rested her gaze on Acornpelt. His muzzle was pointed towards the stars, the moonlight reflecting on his deep amber eyes. A small sigh escaped him as a soft breeze ruffled his tabby fur.

"What's wrong?" Russetpaw inquired as Acornpelt turned to face her.

"Nothing. It's just that… well, whenever I look at the stars in the sky, I'm reminded of my parents. I… miss them sometimes," Acornpelt explained softly.

The ginger apprentice had never thought that such a strong, noble warrior could be so gentle. Russetpaw remembered that both of his parents had died when he was only a kit.

Padding a bit closer to her, Acornpelt locked his gaze with Russetpaw, his eyes glowing, "Do you ever wonder… if they are watching us?"

Though Acornpelt never told Russetpaw who he was really mewing about, she knew what he was implying.

She glanced away, looking at the ground, "I-I don't know, but I know they still care and are out there somewhere."

Russetpaw's pelt was growing hotter by the second. Talking with Acornpelt filled her with too many feelings all at once, so she quickly changed the subject.

"Bet I can bet you to the lake!"

"Bet you can't!" Acornpelt's eyes glowed, but before he could do anything, Russetpaw bolted out of camp.

Her whiskers twitched with amusement as she raced into the forest. She gulped in the clear air, her lungs rejoicing as she glided into the river. Hearing something lumbering behind her, she swam across strongly, the current tugging at her pelt. Even as a RiverClan cat, Russetpaw was never completely at ease in water, especially after the incident with Flamepaw. Relief swept over her when she felt her paws graze the pebbles that dotted the stream's rough bottom.

Russetpaw sank into the cool snow when she slipped out of the river, leaving deep paw prints behind her. Grunting, she shook out her ginger fur, spraying freezing water everywhere.

Acornpelt got out behind her, muttering a bit about the wetness that soaked him to his skin. Russetpaw purred and bounded along the bank.

"I told you couldn't catch me!" The apprentice called to her friend as she broke into a run.

Acornpelt growled playfully and chased after her, flinging up snow in his wake.

Russetpaw nimbly ducked through the undergrowth, her ears flicking as they picked up Acornpelt's grunts of frustration. She would slow for awhile, letting the tabby catch up, before speeding off into the forest again.

The ginger she-cat realized that it was a lot easier for her to maneuver through the undergrowth than Acornpelt. Her slim and smaller frame helped her dart underneath brush, unlike her warrior friend's stocky build.

Finally, the lake came into view. The silver moon above cast beautiful reflections into the water's eerie blue depths. Russetpaw couldn't help admiring the sight.

Her ear twitched as a small rustle in the undergrowth made her turn. She purred when Acornpelt appeared from the bushes.

"Ha! I beat you!" She meowed triumphantly, flicking her tail over his ears.

"Yeah, but can you beat this?" He growled playfully and leapt at her.

Russetpaw squeaked in surprised as Acornpelt barreled her into the snow. He pushed her into the ground, icy crystals clinging to her ginger fur.

"Get off me, you great lump!" She hissed angrily, though her eyes were brimming with excitement.

"Not until you give in!" Acornpelt responded, gently pushing her further into the snow.

"Never!" she said, and then gave him an enormous push with her back legs, flinging the tabby off of her.

Russetpaw quickly drew herself out of the snow, letting Acornpelt stand up, too. The fur on the right side of his face was flattened unnaturally and the apprentice let out a _mrrow_ of amusement. Acornpelt looked embarrassed and drew his paw over his muzzle to straighten the fur.

Russetpaw padded past him and sat at the base of a oak tree, where roots entangled each other before dipping low into the ground.

"I'll race you to the top," she meowed teasingly to Acornpelt.

"I'm not a squirrel! RiverClan cats swim, not climb," The tabby retorted, while Russetpaw's whiskers twitched.

"All cats can climb." The ginger she-cat looked up at the tree. "Or are you a coward?" she teased.

"I'm no coward." Acornpelt grunted and then jumped onto the oak's thick trunk, his claws digging into the bark. Acornpelt didn't move, his joints stiff with uncertainty.

"You're not going to climb a tree like that!" Russetpaw purred as she clawed up the trunk, passing him.

Raventuft had given her a brief climbing lesson, but he didn't know that his apprentice had practiced the skill many times afterward. Being up in the leafy heights of the trees still felt a little unnatural for Russetpaw, but she was definitely more at ease with climbing than her other clanmates were.

The ginger she-cat hurled herself toward the nearest branch, digging her claws into it for a better grip.

"You coming?" she asked Acornpelt. The tom looked skeptical for a heartbeat before determination blazed in his eyes. The tabby warrior leaped up next to Russetpaw.

"Let's go!" He meowed, following the apprentice onto the next branch. The pair of cats leapt up the tree together, the branches growing smaller and smaller. Russetpaw came to a halt on a slender branch, realizing the ones above her wouldn't hold their combined weight.

"Come up here," She meowed down toward Acornpelt, who was struggling a few tail-lengths below her.

The tabby warrior looked up at her and gave a explosive leap, landing right next to Russetpaw. His weight made the branch sway and Acornpelt froze with fear.

Russetpaw purred and rested her tail tip on his flank. "Don't worry; this branch is strong enough to support both of us."

The tabby relaxed a bit, but his movement was still stiff and he glanced around cautiously.

"Quit being a scaredy-mouse and look this way!" Russetpaw meowed, gesturing with her tail.

Acornpelt turned his head to look. He gasped with awe when he did.

Beyond the tree's cold, leafless branches was a view that could take a cat's breath away. Below them was the lake, sparkling in the starlight. It looked like a small puddle from where they were.

"It's beautiful," Acornpelt breathed as a soft breeze ruffled his fur.

Russetpaw nodded. She loved coming up here. It was the perfect place to relax and get away from busy clan life.

"You can see all the clan territories too!" Acornpelt went on. "Over there is Shadowclan and then WindClan down there- Oh! I can see the island!"

Russetpaw purred contentedly as Acornpelt turned his head to look at her. His eyes were soft and full of warmth as he spoke to her.

"Thank you for bringing me here, Russetpaw… It's been a night I'll never forget."

The apprentice's fur grew hot as Acornpelt drew closer to her. Their fur brushed ever so slightly, making Russetpaw squirm under her pelt.

For a quick instance, Russetpaw leaned into Acornpelt, her head resting on his shoulder. Her ginger fur melted into his dark tabby pelt before she drew away.

Acornpelt was startled for a second. _Oh no… what have I done?_ Russetpaw felt shame rushing through her. _Sparkpaw must have been wrong - he doesn't like me like that!_

Russetpaw was about to turn away when Acornpelt broke into a rumbling purr. Relief washed over the apprentice as she pressed into his warm fur.

Together, they sat in silence, watching the stars gleam above them. _Tonight couldn't have been more perfect…_ Russetpaw relaxed next to Acornpelt as the sounds of night washed over them, the battle just hours before completely forgotten.


	11. Chapter Nine

**AHHHHHH! I'm so sorry! I've drowning in school writing assignments lately and caught up in holiday buzz. Oh by the way, Happy-totally-late-New-Year! With this year starting I plan to actually stick to my update schedule… which is currently Wednesdays! And now here's…**

 **Chapter Nine**

Russetpaw yawned and stretched in her nest, keeping her eyes closed. She inhaled deeply as she thought about the night before. She and Acornpelt had traveled back to camp after climbing down from the tree, but promised each other to do it again sometime.

She blinked her eyes open sleepily, only to be bewildered by what she saw - more like what she didn't see, because Russsetpaw couldn't see _anything!_ In front of her was pitch blackness. It seemed to have swallowed the apprentice's den.

Shocked, she leapt out of her nest. _Have I gone blind?_ Russetpaw ran forward, only to tumble into a sleeping Sparkpaw.

"Hey watch it-" Her meow cut off when she realized what caused Russetpaw to feel panicked.

"What's going on?" Sparkpaw asked, a hint of anxiety in her voice.

"I'm not sure." Russetpaw muttered. She tried to conceal her fear scent, but she could feel panic rising in her throat.

"Well, where's the entrance to the den?" Sparkpaw asked, stumbling forward in the darkness. Russetpaw padded next to her. The feeling of unease was distracting and overwhelming. _Focus, Russetpaw!_ Scolded the voice inside her head. _You can figure out what is going on if you pay attention._

Suddenly, something stirred behind them and Russetpaw and Sparkpaw whipped around, ready for anything.

"W-what's happening?" The two apprentices relaxed when they realized that it was just Ashpaw awakening.

"We aren't sure," Sparkpaw replied, uncertainty dripping in her voice.

Grumbling, Ashpaw got out of his nest and gingerly padded towards his denmates, almost crashing into them before his whiskers brushed their pelts which caused him to turn just in time.

Russetpaw took a timid step forward, going to where the den entrance was supposed to be.

She recoiled in surprise as something cold touched her pads. _Great StarClan…_ Relief washed through her as she realized it was snow.

"Snow is blocking the entrance!" She exclaimed, not knowing where to turn to find the other apprentices.

"That's fish-brained! Every cat knows that snow is white, not black." Ashpaw retorted and padded next to Russetpaw to feel for himself.

Russetpaw's whiskers twitched as she heard him gasp, realizing that his sister was right. Sparkpaw did the same and her meow echoed in the darkness, "Well, maybe there is so much snow that the light can't get through to the den. That's why everything is so dark."

Russetpaw nodded. Leaning forward, she scooped up pawfuls of cold snow and pushed them into a corner of the den.

"Come on! Let's clear this stuff away!" Sparkpaw and Ashpaw jumped forward and began to help her.

After a while, Russetpaw's paws were numb from cold and were stinging.

"When are we going to be done?" Sparkpaw's sigh sounded from next to her.

Before any cat could respond, glittering sunlight poured into the den as Ashpaw cleared away one last pawful of freezing snow.

"Finally!" Russetpaw breathed and slipped forward into camp. The ginger apprenticed gulped in several mouthfuls of fresh air before glancing around.

Sunblaze, Mistyfeather, and Gingerflame were across the clearing, working hard to dig out Shellcloud's den. Russetpaw could already tell the elders were out since Birchleaf, Echomist, and Rushfur were stretching in a small patch of sun near their den.

"You're finally out!" A gruff meow sounded from behind Russetpaw. She turned to see Raventuft. Her mentor was stoic as ever, even after snow had covered the entire camp.

"Well, why didn't you help us?" She huffed, irritated.

"You should be able to clear a pile of snow away by yourselves. Besides, the elders, kits, and queens need the warriors' help first," The dark tabby responded. Russetpaw snorted and stomped away to get a meal from the fresh-kill pile.

For the next few sunrises, the apprentices woke up darkness. They worked all morning to clear away the snow, only to train the rest of the day.

"When is this weather going to end?" Sparkpaw whined as she shared a trout with Russetpaw.

"Soon, I hope," she sighed, taking a bite of the fish. "We're using up more energy on getting out of our dens every morning than hunting and providing for the Clan."

Small flurries of snow began to fall from the sky as Russetpaw and Sparkpaw finished the remains of their meal. The apprentices drew themselves up on their paws, stretching in the morning sun.

"Russetpaw!" The she-cat turned her head towards her mentor's husky voice, which sounded across the clearing.

Her muscles were already tired from digging out the den earlier, but she bounded across camp without hesitation.

Raventuft sat beside Stripedpelt and Shimmertail, his tail flicking impatiently in the snow.

"We're going hunting, so wake up! I don't need an apprentice that's practically asleep on her paws," the tom grunted, stalking briskly out of the sheltered RiverClan camp.

Russetpaw hissed under her breath. Raventuft seemed to get more short-tempered every day. If she put as little as one paw out of place, he nearly clawed her ears off.

Shimmertail hurried after the dark tabby as Russetpaw followed behind.

"Raventuft has always been a bit harsh." Stripedpelt whispered to the ginger apprentice when they reached the riverbank, "But he's a noble warrior at heart."

Russetpaw nodded. The senior warrior's words comforted her a bit. _It's a tough time for the clan, Raventuft is probably just tense because of leaf-bare. I don't need to get so worked up about it._

Stripedpelt went on ahead, walking beside Shimmertail for a little while, leaving the ginger apprentice to bring up the rear of the patrol.

Russetpaw kept her ears perked, alert for any strange sounds that might suggest trouble. But she could only hear the soft whistle of the freezing wind in her ears and the soft pawsteps of her clanmates up ahead.

 _That's odd, I usually can hear birds chirping, even in leaf-bare._ Fear bubbled up in her like a churning river, when she realized the eerie silence must mean something.

The young cat opened her mouth to call to Raventuft, who was plowing through the snow, his broad shoulders pushing it easily away. Before she could even speak, huge flakes of snow came whizzing down, blurring her vision in a furious storm of white.

Terror shot through her nose to tail as the yowls of her clanmates were drowned out by something that filled her ears.

Dazed, Russetpaw gasped for air, only to find herself choking on snow. _Help!_ She tried to speak, but her mouth and nose were covered.

Flailing frozen paws, she fought for air, which only made the situation worse when snow entered her lungs. Coughing, she fought to reach the surface. Finally she stopped struggling and laid there, enveloped in a blanket of pure white. _StarClan… are you there?_

With lungs screaming for air, Russetpaw's hope was ebbing away from her. Suddenly she heard muffled voices above her, and light shimmered into the edge of her vision. Two dark tabby paws cleared the snow from her mouth and nose.

"Russetpaw? Are you alright?" A familiar voice spoke from above.

Russetpaw's eyes flashed open and she gazed up at Raventuft and Shimmertail, joy filling her heart as she sprang out of her snowy nest.

"You're alive! I thought we would be in StarClan by now!" She exclaimed, moving forward to nuzzle her mentor.

Raventuft relaxed at her touch, then quickly stiffened.

"It was a quick blizzard, but deadly too." His voice was almost a rasp, as if he was still recovering from shock. "We need to find Stripedpelt, he will be desperate for air by now."

The two younger cats nodded and spread out in the grove of trees. Russetpaw raced around, trying to feel something that resembled a cat laying in the snow.

"Have you found anything?" Russetpaw called to Raventuft who was digging around next to a patch of frozen reeds.

"No." He responded, worry shaking his meow, as he resumed his work.

"He was next to me when the blizzard hit." Shimmertail called from across the small clearing. "I'll go look around where Raventuft dug me out."

The two other cats nodded in agreement as the young warrior bounding towards a place where the snow was severely disturbed.

After awhile, Russetpaw's panic began to rise again, knowing that Stripedpelt must have run out of air by now.

"Wait! I found him!" Shimmertail called, a few fox-lengths away from Russetpaw. She froze in her spot, hearing the distress in the gray she-cat's voice, she knew something was wrong.

The ginger apprentice raced over to where her clanmate stood and looked down, holding her breath.

Lying in a small patch of snow was Stripedpelt. Clumps of ice hung on his pelt, his motionless body frozen into a stiff curl. The tabby's blue eyes were glazed and expressionless.

Russetpaw's breath hitched as Raventuft appeared beside her. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of his dead clanmate and he bent forward to lay his ear on Stripedpelt's chest.

 _Oh please StarClan… you can't take Stripedpelt too. Not after Minnowtail,_ Russetpaw prayed silently.

After a few long, dreadful heartbeats, her mentor drew himself up and slowly shook his head.

"No…" Shimmertail whispered as she pressed her nose into her lost clanmates cold pelt.

Russetpaw felt sick to her stomach. _This isn't fair! Stripedpelt doesn't deserve this fate!_ She watched, dumbfounded, as Raventuft gently closed the dead tabby's eyes.

"Hey! There you are!" The patrol turned solemnly to find Tidetail with Sunblaze, Sweetclaw, and Lizardstripe racing behind him. "We got caught in the blizzard, but we're fine. Wh-."

His mew was cut of when he saw Stripedpelt's body in the snow.

"What?" Tidetail's eyes stretched wide in shock. "No… Stripedpelt."

The black and white tom bounded up to his clanmate and pushed his muzzle against Stripedpelt's flank, the rest of his patrol streaming after him.

Russetpaw was nearly choking on her grief watching the scene in front of here. _The last thing Stripedpelt did was comfort me…_ She closed her eyes, trying to image Stripedpelt in StarClan, happy and with Minnowtail, but she couldn't, no matter how hard she tried.

 _Oh StarClan… how could you do this?_

Russetpaw sat in the camp's clearing, the faint moonlight casting the trees' shadows onto the sparkling snow. But the apprentice could not enjoy tonight because Stripedpelt was dead.

Russetpaw had no idea why she felt so greatly affected by the tom's death. She didn't feel like this when Minnowtail died.

 _It must be because I was closer to him…_ she guessed, remembering all the times Stripedpelt had given her friendly reminders about her hunting techniques and praising her after she caught her first piece of prey.

Guilt clawed at her belly. _If I had warned them sooner, than this would have never happened!_

In an instant, Shellcloud slipped out of her den with lavender and rosemary clamped in her jaws. The silver she-cat padded over to Stripedpelt's body and lay them on his fur.

Cats beside Russetpaw shifted and she turned to see Blizzardstar jump gracefully on a slender rock and settle himself down stiffly on the hard surface.

"Today we lost a strong and noble warrior. Stripedpelt will be missed greatly. And we wish him a safe journey to StarClan," the white tom meowed, letting the murmurs of grief that rose in the air die down before speaking again. "But as we gather here I would also like to welcome new life in our clan. Foxkit, Muddykit, step forward."

Russetpaw blinked in surprise. The ceremony was clearly unexpected since Dovesong immediately began fussing over her kits' pelts as they made their way over to Blizzardstar.

"These two cats have reached their sixth moon, and are now ready to become apprentices. Foxkit, please step forward."

The ginger she-cat bounced over to her leader, excitement shining in her amber eyes and her tail quivering anxiously.

"Puddlespots, you will be Foxpaw's mentor. I trust that you will teach her well."

The new apprentice raced over to her new mentor, and pressed her nose to the gray-and-white warrior.

"Muddykit, please step forward," Blizzardstar meowed to the dark brown tom.

Muddykit looked a bit bashful as he carefully made his way up to the muscular tom, but determination shined with every step he took.

"Dimfur, you did excellent work with Palenose, and I know that you will make Muddypaw into a great warrior too."

RiverClan watched as the apprentice touched noses with his mentor, before bursting into cheers of congratulations.

"Foxpaw, Muddypaw! Foxpaw, Muddypaw!" Russetpaw yowled happily into the night. She watched Tidetail, next to his mate, Dovewing. They both had their chests puffed out with pride for their children.

Then she turned back to Stripedpelt's lifeless body, the happiness sucked away from her. _Stripedpelt, are you up there?_ She asked silently as she looked up at the glittering stars in Silverpelt.

Russetpaw laid down next to Shimmertail, who was Stripedpelt's former apprentice, and the elders Rushfur and Echomist, who were his parents.

Shaken by grief, she pushed her nose into his cold fur, smelling his death scent despite the herbs' attempt to cover it. Night swirled around her as she lay, dreading for morning to come, when Stripedpelt would be taken away to be buried, taken away forever.

 _It's all my fault… I'm so sorry, Stripedpelt…_

 **Wow. So much death happening… Well, see you guys next week and remember: REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW**

 **-Everest :)**


	12. Chapter Ten

**Yaaaaaay! I can hardly believe I'm on Chapter Ten already! By the way, pay close attention to this chapter, this is where stuff starts getting good.**

 **Ticking Down: 0-0 Omg, you are creepy my friend, very strange. But thanks so much for reviewing!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own warriors, Erin Hunter has all rights to the warrior world.**

 **Chapter Ten**

Russetpaw was woken out of her nap by a paw shaking her roughly. Her green eyes flashed open to find Raventuft standing over her.

"Come on Russetpaw, get up! It's time for the gathering," he grumbled, turning to leave the den when he saw she was awake.

Three quarter moons had passed since Stripedpelt had died. Russetpaw still felt guilty, even as she drew herself out of her nest. She stretched, straining the muscles that were sore from battle training yesterday.

Raventuft seemed to train Russetpaw even harder these days, waking her up extra early to go on the dawn patrol, and then expecting her to hunt for the elders straight after.

 _I don't even want to go to this gathering…_ she thought. There were too many horrible things that happened in the past moon and Russetpaw did not want to be reminded of them. Minnowtail and Stripedpelt had died, and prey seemed to be getting more and more scarce as the river froze even more.

Ignoring the small pang of hunger in her belly, the apprentice padded out of her den, pausing to glance at the sky.

 _What is Raventuft mewing about? The sun hasn't even began to set yet! It's not time to go._ She snorted at Raventuft's mistake and picked up a trout from the small heap of fresh-kill, the smell making her stomach yowl. The fresh-kill pile was growing smaller every day because of the cold weather, and the Clan was hungrier than ever.

 _I guess Swiftfoot, Creamfur, and the kits need it more than I do._ Russetpaw padded over to the nursery, purring as she heard the kits rustling inside.

She pushed through the reeds and was greeted by Swiftfoot's kits, who were tumbling around at her feet.

"Russetpaw!" squeaked Splashkit, a blue-gray she-cat. "Is that for me?"

Before the apprentice could reply, a bundle of brown fur pounced on Splashkit.

"It's for me!" Exclaimed Sprucekit proudly, standing up as tall as he could in front of Russetpaw. "I'm the biggest, so I get the trout."

"Maybe I should get it." A quiet, high-pitched mew came from behind Splashkit, and Russetpaw realized that Birdkit was speaking. The small kit looked weak compared to her siblings and Russetpaw couldn't help wondering if there was something wrong with the diminutive she-cat.

Twitching her whiskers to cover her concern, Russetpaw placed the trout down on the nursery's sandy floor.

"We all need to share the prey." Swiftfoot purred from her nest of soft moss and bracken.

Though the black queen sounded cheerful, Russetpaw could tell she was exhausted from caring for her boisterous young kits.

"How about you three go to Shellcloud's den? I'm sure Flamepaw will be willing to play a game with you and share some of his prey," Russetpaw told the kits affectionately. "But don't bother Shellcloud!" She added as she watched them bound out of their den, their tiny tails held high.

"Thank you, Russetpaw. We already ate, so you can share that with another cat before the gathering," Swiftfoot muttered, as she lay her head down and closed her eyes sleepily.

Russetpaw nodded, and saw Creamfur curled in her nest on the other side of the nursery. She picked up the trout once more and then hurried out of the den.

After sharing a quick meal with Gingerflame and and Puddlespots, the clan was ready to go to the gathering.

Russetpaw sat down next to Sparkpaw, waiting to hear who would be going.

"Do you know if you can go?" Sparkpaw asked her, excitement bristling in every hair of her dark ginger pelt.

"Yes. Raventuft already told me I'm going, but I don't really want to," she replied, not matching her friend's enthusiasm.

Before Sparkpaw could ask why, Blizzardstar's yowl sounded across the clearing.

"Cat's of RiverClan! It is time for the gathering. The cats who will be going are Lizardstripe, Mistyfeather, Raventuft, Sunblaze, Acornpelt, Fishclaw, Tidetail, Shimmertail, Puddlespots, Dimfur, Dovesong, Russetpaw, Foxpaw, and Muddypaw."

Russetpaw glanced at the newest apprentices, catching glimpses of excitement and a bit of nervousness in their gazes. _That's how I felt at the last gathering, but now…_

"You're so lucky!" Sparkpaw's envious meow snapped Russetpaw out of her thoughts. "I wish I could come."

Russetpaw shrugged, and nodded a quick goodbye, before padding off to find Raventuft.

"Are you ready?" He grumbled, flicking his tail anxiously.

The ginger apprentice narrowed her eyes. _Why is he so keen to go?_

Heartbeats later, Russetpaw padded after the dark, tabby tom, stumbling to keep up. The cheerful cries of her clanmates filled the night air as they padded along the riverbank.

 _Why is every cat so excited? So many things happened in this past moon that we shouldn't be celebrating._

Russetpaw flattened her ears to her head as snow hit her forcefully.

"Hey! Watch it," she hissed, turning to face Foxpaw.

"Sorry!" She squeaked, clearly embarrassed. "That was for him." She flicked her fluffy, white tail tip over to her brother, who was walking next to Dovesong.

The rest of RiverClan twitched their whiskers, while stifling purrs of amusement at the apprentices' scuffle.

Russetpaw was concentrating on getting the Clan eyes off of her, so she stared at her paws, hardly noticing that Acornpelt was walking next to her.

"Hey," He meowed, his eyes full of concern as he watched her. "You've seemed a bit… out of it lately. What's wrong?"

Russetpaw hesitated, embarrassment fizzing up inside her.

"Well…" She didn't know how to start. "I-I guess… um…" Russetpaw trailed off, staring into space and trying to find the words to explain her feelings to Acornpelt. "I feel like it's my fault that Stripedpelt died. If I could have just warned Raventuft sooner, than we could have found shelter," she confessed, the shame and sorrow rushing all back to her, so powerful it almost knocked her off her paws; but at the same time, she felt a kind of peace. Russetpaw had not had anyone to talk to about her feelings for almost a moon, and they had just bottled up inside of her.

Acornpelt's deep amber gaze filled with sympathy as he rested the tip of his tail on Russetpaw's shoulder.

"It's not your fault, Russetpaw. Everything happens for a reason."

His words comforted Russetpaw as RiverClan finally reached the tree-bridge. Up ahead, Dimfur and Puddlespots were instructing their apprentices about the slippery trunk.

Foxpaw went first, obviously overconfident, and raced along the fallen oak. Not minding Puddlespots' warning, she dashed along the log until she hit a slippery, smooth spot, and suddenly slipped off the bridge. The reddish she-cat fell straight into the water, the splash throwing ice-cold water onto her clanmates.

Russetpaw's whiskers twitched as the other apprentice dragged herself onto shore, suddenly feeling happier than she ever had since Stripedpelt's death.

When it was Russetpaw's turn to cross, she didn't waste a second. Leaping gracefully onto the fallen tree, she dug her claws into the soft bark. She padded across, cautious of the freezing water below. She didn't want to make the same mistake as Foxpaw.

Soon Russetpaw reached the other side and jumped down, landing lightly in the snow. The ginger she-cat was about to push her way through the brambles when a voice stopped her.

"Hey Russetpaw!" She turned to see Muddypaw and his sister, Foxpaw, her fur still drenched. "Dimfur said that you can help us meet some other apprentices."

Russetpaw felt her fur tingle with annoyance, but she pushed it away. She knew how excited she had been the last gathering, and she wanted them to have the same experience. Suppressing a quick sigh, Russetpaw nodded and flicked her tail for the two younger cats to follow. The she-cat quickly spotted Screechpaw's dark tabby pelt and Silverpaw's sleek frame next to Lightningpaw.

Russetpaw padded up to them, quickly meowing a friendly hello to Daisypaw.

"Hello, Russetpaw," Silverpaw meowed curtly, still clearly remembering the time they had fought.

Russetpaw nodded stiffly, feeling uncomfortable under the WindClan apprentice's cool gaze.

"Hi, Silverpaw, Beepaw," she meowed, noticing another brown tom that she didn't recognized that bore the scent of the moor. "This is Muddypaw and Foxpaw."

The young RiverClan apprentices greeted the other apprentices excitedly, as Russetpaw introduced them to the cats she knew.

She learned the WindClan tom's name, which was Stagpaw, she met Nightpaw, from ShadowClan, and a lithe gray tabby from SkyClan named Streampaw.

After Foxpaw and Streampaw started a conversation and Muddypaw was drawn into a talk about hunting with Stagpaw, Screechpaw, and Beepaw, Russetpaw was left alone. She wanted to talk to Daisypaw, but she was busy being pestered by Nightpaw.

"Do you go on the dawn patrols? I do, but sometimes I think my mentor wakes me up way too early. I hunt, too - I caught this huge squirrel yesterday, my mentor said it could feed half the Clan - ooh, is that a frog? We eat frogs, too, I was pretty reluctant to try one, but they are actually really good. Kind of squishy, though…"

Russetpaw then padded around the gathering, briefly chatting with the young, ShadowClan warriors, Darkripple and Honeydrop. Then she spotted Acornpelt and went to sit next to him and a SkyClan tom, Hailspots.

"Hi," She meowed. "I'm Russetpaw. How's SkyClan been this past moon?"

"We've been pretty good. Prey is getting scarcer, but we manage." Hailspots replied.

Russetpaw nodded, believing him. SkyClan, as well as ShadowClan, looking pretty healthy, despite the harsh leaf-bare weather.

"Cat's of the Clans! Let the gathering begin!" Amberstar's raspy voice called from the Great Oak in the center of the island. Russetpaw thought the ThunderClan cats looked even worse than last moon. Now they were even skinnier than WindClan.

The ginger apprentice listened to her report, which was simply fibs about how plentiful prey had been the last moon, when something caught her eye in the corner of the island.

A group of cats were huddled together in the shadows, their muzzles close in quiet whispers. Russetpaw recognized Snaketail, the ThunderClan deputy, as well as Flashtail and a few other warriors.

A stocky dark tom was speaking and the others were nodding along with what he was saying. Russetpaw strained her ears forward, trying to hear what they were whispering about.

There was something about the slant of the tom's shoulders that seemed familiar, and with a shiver down her spine, Russetpaw realized who it was. It was Raventuft.

Glancing quickly around to make sure no other cats were watching her mentor, Russetpaw caught Shellcloud's eye. The silver tabby was sitting with the other medicine cats next to the Great Oak. Shellcloud's eyes shimmered with fear as her gaze flicked back and forth between Russetpaw and Raventuft's group.

The medicine cat let out an inaudible gasp when she realized Russetpaw was watching and quickly wrenched her gaze away.

 _What's going on?_ Russetpaw wondered, uneasiness churning in her belly. _What is Raventuft doing with those cats and what does Shellcloud have to do with it?_

"And I'll finish with RiverClan's report." Blizzardstar's husky meow brought Russetpaw back to the Gathering. "We've gotten along well this moon. Let's thank StarClan that we have enough prey to support everyone in our clan. I would also like to welcome two new apprentices, Foxpaw and Muddypaw."

"Foxpaw! Muddypaw! Foxpaw! Muddypaw!" RiverClan, ShadowClan, and SkyClan called happily into the air, but Russetpaw noticed ThunderClan and WindClan held back, sending hostile glances toward the RiverClan cats.

"With happy news also comes sad news, however. My deputy, Minnowtail, made the journey to StarClan recently." Murmurs of sympathy rippled through the ShadowClan and SkyClan cats. Blizzardstar paused for a moment, glancing at the silent ThunderClan and WindClan leaders, especially Aspenstar. "But we welcome the warrior Tinywave as our new deputy!" The white tom added, shooting another glare at Amberstar and Aspenstar, who again didn't cheer.

"Clans dismissed!" Blizzardstar yowled before jumping gracefully off of the tree, beckoning RiverClan with one wide sweep of his tail.

Russetpaw followed her clanmates, not even meowing a goodbye to the other apprentices, for her thoughts were too far off.

 _I wonder what Raventuft was doing_. _And what about Shellcloud? Then, of course, there's ThunderClan and WindClan. Surely they can't attack. They are practically starved!_

Russetpaw's mind was buzzing with questions, all of them dark and anxious.


	13. Chapter Eleven

**AN: Wow, I actually made my deadline! I'm so proud. I'm traveling this week so I can't guarantee that I will be on time next Wednesday. Thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed, followed, and favorited.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own warriors. Erin Hunter has all rights to the warrior world.**

 **Chapter Eleven**

"Russetpaw, pay attention!" Raventuft's sharp meow cut through her thoughts as the fish slipped out of Russetpaw's claws.

"I swear, you've got cobwebs in your brain!" Her mentor growled sharply, padding towards the riverbank.

Russetpaw flattened her ears to her head. Even she had to admit she was distracted these days. Sighing, she shook herself fiercely, trying to clear away her troubled thoughts.

For the past couple of sunrises, all Russetpaw could think of was the gathering, and the thought of her mentor with those other cats followed her everywhere.

 _What if he is plotting against RiverClan? He could be teaming up with Snaketail and Flashtail and…_ Russetpaw pushed her suspicions quickly out of her mind. _Raventuft is a loyal and noble warrior! He has to be! How can I doubt my own mentor?_

A spray of freezing water jerked Russetpaw back into reality. She turned to see Raventuft grappling a fish onto the shore, killing with a swift bite to the spine.

"There, that should make up for the prey you lost," he meowed bluntly, resuming his hunter's crouch on the ice. The river had completely frozen over, and the strongest warriors had been assigned the job of breaking fishing holes in the ice.

Russetpaw winced at Raventuft's sharp remark. Yes, he could be insulting but never direct, like this. The apprentice could feel rage burning up inside of her, and she struggled to hold in a sharp reply.

Sighing, she padded beside her mentor, locking her gaze onto the water below her. After a few minutes passed, Russetpaw felt an impatient urge to break away from the hunt, but suddenly, a silver flash zipped past her. Quick as lightning, the apprentice extended her paw, the fish hooking onto her claws. With a grunt of satisfaction, Russetpaw dragged her catch onto the ice. The fish flopped around, its gills heaving hard as it made a desperate attempt to slip back into the water. The she-cat bent forward and killed it with a fatal bite to the spine.

Russetpaw sat up, to see Raventuft giving her an approving nod. She couldn't help feeling a twinge of pride. It was hard to earn her mentor's approval, and when she did it made her especially proud.

"Alright, we've got enough now." Raventuft meowed, snatching up his prey in his jaws as Russetpaw did the same. "Let's head back to camp."

Paws sinking into the thin layer of snow, she followed the stocky tom through the forest and back to the safety of RiverClan camp.

Dropping their catches in the pile, Raventuft ordered his apprentice to feed the elders. Russetpaw obeyed and picked up two plump voles by the tail. _Even though there has been a huge snowstorm, Clan life goes on._

Russetpaw reached the elders' den and made her way inside. "Ah, Russetpaw!" She was greeted by the old tom, Rushfur. His eyes gleamed with delight as he saw what she had brought him. He licked his lips as if he could already taste the prey.

"Are those really for us? Prey must be running well!" Echomist meowed happily as she sat down beside Rushfur to eat.

Russetpaw nodded, her paws itching to get out of the den. She loved talking to the elders, but for some reason, her paws were drawn to the forest today.

"Well, I think Raventuft needs me, have a nice meal!" She purred to the elders before racing out of the den.

She meowed a friendly "hello" to Acornpelt, who was dropping his catches into the prey pile, before racing through the entrance of camp. Russetpaw didn't want to ask Raventuft for permission, mostly because she was angry with him, but partly because she was still suspicious about what he was doing at the Gathering.

Bursting through the reeds that concealed the camp's entrance, Russetpaw raced onward. The ice on the river was like a thick blanket, covering the water. Sliding across it, she made her way towards the Shadowclan border, which was the Thunderpath that served as a boundary line between the two territories.

Swerving to the side when she picked up the rancid reek of monsters, Russetpaw picked her way through the forest, happy to hear the sounds of prey rustling around her. _The forest is beginning to thaw, which means more prey…_

Her keen ears picked up soft scuffling and she quickly spotted a mouse scurrying across the snow.

Instinctively dropping into a crouch, Russetpaw stalked up to the small creature, treading lightly on the white crystals beneath her paws.

 _Ha! ThunderClan are not the only ones who can catch mice,_ she thought, getting ready to pounce.

Tensing her muscles, Russetpaw sprang into the air, claws extended, when something barreled into her side. Leaping to her paws as soon as she collided with the ground, she whipped around to see a stocky, dark ginger tom.

"Hey! That mouse was mine!" He hissed threateningly at Russetpaw, his fur fluffing up as a growl rose in his throat.

"It was mine, obviously!" Russetpaw snapped back. "This is my territory, get off off it!"

To her surprise, the rogue twitched his whiskers, "I should have guessed, another _clan_ animal."

"I'm better than you, you mangy excuse for a cat!" She retorted. Russetpaw could see his claws unsheath at that remark. _Who does he think he is? Attacking me in my own territory!_

Suddenly, the tom hurled himself at her, the apprentice ducking out of reach just before his weight crashed onto her. Snarling, Russetpaw whipped around, hooking his paws out from underneath him. He fell, his eyes flashing with surprise.

"Come on, _kittypet…"_ Russetpaw taunted, scoring her claws down his shoulders.

The rogue drew himself up quickly. Flashing a paw at the ginger cat, his claws caught her nose and sent her blood spraying everywhere.

Pain only made Russetpaw angry, and that made her even stronger. Fire blazed through her body as she swiped at him, rearing on her hind legs, but being careful not to leave her belly too exposed. She hissed with satisfaction as her claws scraped across his muzzle, splattering red liquid onto the snow.

The tom winced and gasped with pain, but didn't falter in his attack. Lashing out a well-aimed paw, he raked his claws down her flank, causing the apprentice to screech in agony.

Fury scorching her insides, Russetpaw drew her lips back in a snarl and swiped at his ears, but the rogue ducked just in time.

Russetpaw then leapt, barreling the tom over and into the snow. They clung to each other in a fury of tooth and claw. The apprentice shrieked as she felt his fangs sink deep into her shoulder, blood welling from the wound.

 _That's it…_ Summoning all her strength, Russetpaw forced the rogue down into the snow, pushing him under her. He squirmed, trying to escape, but she pressed her claws further into his fur, drawing blood.

"Do you give in?" she hissed into his ear, which was bleeding.

"Yes," he rasped. Russetpaw released her grip on him and took a step back, still watching him cautiously in case he tried another attack.

"You fight well for your puny size," the tom growled, but the confident gleam in his amber eyes told Russetpaw he was just teasing her.

"Yes, I wouldn't expect myself not to," she retorted haughtily, stepping closer to him again. Her whiskers twitched as she saw fear flicker across his face.

"Alright, alright. I'm leaving," he snorted, starting to limp away. Russetpaw's gaze followed him when he turned around. "I'm Scratch by the way; you?"

Russetpaw hesitated, not sure to tell this strange rogue or not. Scratch was being surprising friendly for a defeated rogue.

"I'm Russetpaw," she meowed carefully, lifting her head high as Scratch nodded before he turned and vanished into the forest.

Russetpaw waited a second before following the tom, making sure he left her territory. Sure enough, she caught sight of him racing across the Thunderpath, into ShadowClan territory.

Excitement and pride welled up inside of her. _I just chased off an intruder!_ she thought happily, her paws tingling as she trotted back to camp with her tail held high.

Russetpaw's wounds didn't start to sting until she padded into camp.

"Russetpaw! There you are!" Mistyfeather greeted her at the entrance. "We've been looking for you."

Before Russetpaw could explain what had happened, her mother spotted the blood on her fur.

"What happened? Oh StarClan, you're hurt. Let's get you to Shellcloud," Mistyfeather fussed, herding her daughter towards her sister's den.

Russetpaw sighed, but obediently let her mother lead her away. Her thoughts, however, remained on Scratch. _What was he doing on RiverClan territory? I can't believe I chased him out! I mean, he was like three times my size and I defeated him easily!_

Her earlier suspicions of Raventuft were replaced with new thoughts as Shellcloud began to patch up her wounds, but Russetpaw was barely paying attention.

 **AN: Yay! Another chapter completed. Remember to review!**


	14. Chapter Twelve

**AN: Ahhhh! I was so close to posting on-time, but I have to say, writing Shades of Red has been amazing! Anyway, enough about me, more about you. So in a couple of chapters Creamfur, an expecting RiverClan queen, will have her kits! How exciting! You guys now have the opportunity to name one of her three kits… So if you have a character idea please review it. Give the cat's name (warrior suffix too please) description of the character's physical appearance, personality, and a bit of a life summary (which is optional). Keep in mind that Creamfur and Lizardstripe (look up their names in the allegiances) are the kit's parents, so no abnormal genes and stuff… Thanks again guys!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own warriors. Erin Hunter has all rights to the warrior world.**

 **Chapter Twelve**

"Higher!" Raventuft's impatient growl commanded Russetpaw as she twisted in the air, landing hard and dropping on a dark tabby's shoulder.

She felt the cat below her roll to the side, and Russetpaw leapt off to avoid being trampled. Swift as a river, she twisted aside, meeting her attacker face to face. Snarling, she ducked seconds before a hefty, unerring paw flew towards her. It caught her shoulder, pushing her into the ground. She tried to roll to the side, but more still more weight held her in place. She gritted her teeth, struggling under her opponent's grip, half-frozen dirt clinging to her ginger coat.

"Acornpelt wins!" Raventuft exclaimed. Acornpelt got up and released his strong grip on Russetpaw.

"Well fought," Acornpelt nodded towards Russetpaw. He added purring, "You almost had me there!"

Russetpaw purred back, though her muscles were sore with bruises. Raventuft had insisted on battle training everyday. He was always meowing about always being prepared for a "battle yet to come." _But what battle?_ The question wasn't the biggest problem on her mind these days, however. There was Scratch, her suspicions of Raventuft, and the strange behavior of Shellcloud.

Russetpaw impatiently dug her claws into the frozen ground. The frosty soil stung her pads as she listened to Raventuft lecture her about how she could have beaten Acornpelt.

"On that leap, put all your power into your haunches, then release in one explosive jump. You barely scaled his shoulders with that tiny excuse for a jump!" Raventuft went on. "And when you duck, you need to be paying attention to where he's swiping! You can't just dodge blindly; that's going to result in an injury."

Russetpaw flattened her ears against her head, trying to hide the prickle of annoyance traveling up her spine.

"But that was impressive, for an apprentice against a full-grown warrior." Her mentor flicked his tail with approval, but Russetpaw didn't feel the slightest glow of pride. She was too exhausted to care.

"Keep working though," Raventuft meowed. "You're nowhere near to becoming a warrior if you don't work harder."

That was it. Russetpaw's gaping tiredness was replaced with fury and indignation burning throughout her. "What?" She snarled, her green eyes alight with anger. "I have been working my tail off going on dawn patrols, then being expected to hunt, and then training! How am I _not_ working hard enough?" She spat out the words with bitterness.

All of Russetpaw's previous suspicions came rushing back to her. Every emotion that had built up inside her in the last moon was overpowering her like a huge wave.

Raventuft looked taken aback for a second, his eyes flickering with shock. He quickly regained himself, though, and the shock was replaced by anger. "I get to decide if you're working hard enough, not you," the tom growled, his fur bristling threateningly. "I can't believe my own apprentice would act like this!"

"I'm _exhausted,_ Raventuft! At the end of the day, I can hardly put one paw in front of the other!"

"All apprentices work hard. Why are you making a problem out of it?" The tabby tom huffed. "You don't see Sparkpaw and Ashpaw complaining, do you?"

"What makes you think _I'm_ the problem?" The sharp remark slipped out of Russetpaw's mouth before she could stop it. She stood there, holding her mentor's ice cold, amber gaze with her unflinching green stare. Then Russetpaw realized something: this wasn't just about what she thought about Raventuft's way of training her; this was much more. Even though it was subtle, both cats understood Russetpaw's challenge: she was questioning his loyalty to his clan.

A flicker of fear shown in Raventuft's amber eyes just before he blinked. _He thinks I know what he was doing at the gathering… well, I do._

Tension hung in the air as Raventuft snarled, his tail lashing out behind him, "You just earned yourself a moon of taking care of the elders. Go, Russetpaw. Now."

The venom, the quiet, lethal harshness of the tom's icy voice, made the ginger apprentice freeze, the raging fury inside her dissolving.

"Raventuft-" she started, her voice shaking.

"That's an order."

Unsheathing her claws, Russetpaw raced away in the opposite direction of camp, panic and frustration rising in her throat. _What is wrong with me? Why do I have to go and open my big, stupid mouth? I'll never be a warrior now…_

Russetpaw leapt over a fallen tree, nearly stumbling on the ground as she landed. Emotions welled up inside her, making it hard to concentrate on anything.

The she-cat ran on, her paws thumping on the hard, frozen soil and her claws snagging on leaves. She soon came to the tree she and Acornpelt had climbed after the WindClan battle.

Not wasting a second, Russetpaw launched herself at the tree, landing squarely on the trunk. Digging her claws deep into the soft bark, she slithered up the tree as fast as she could until she reached the top few branches. She sat up, panting a bit.

Russetpaw closed her eyes, soaking in everything that had just happened, including the severity of the situation. _Why can't I just be a normal, well-behaved apprentice with a normal, well-behaved mentor?_ This was one of the few times she envied Ashpaw. Even though she and her littermate didn't have the best relationship, she had to agree that he had a wise, encouraging mentor - _The Clan deputy, for StarClan's sake!_

Eventually, her burning anger had finally worn down, which was quickly replaced by shame, guilt, and exhaustion. Closing her tired eyes, she inhaled deeply, taking advantage of the clear, frosty air.

Opening her eyes a few moments later, she once again took in the gorgeous sight around her with awe. The lake sparkled below, patches of unmelted ice stretching across its blue depths. Faint sunlight warmed Russetpaw's ginger fur, which ruffled slightly in the cool breeze.

 _Why do I have to be so fish-brained? Why is Raventuft so strict? Was he really scared of me finding out what he's up too? That means he really has something to be guilty about! He could actually be planning against RiverClan…_ Millions of thoughts swirled throughout Russetpaw's mind as she allowed them to spill into her brain.

An abrupt shaking jolted the apprentice from her thoughts. She looked down as fast as she could, nearly falling out of the tree.

"I thought I might find you up here," a husky brown tabby meowed.

 _Acornpelt!_ Russetpaw was instantly filled with embarrassment. _He was watching the whole argument!_

"Acornpelt, please go," Russetpaw meowed patiently, but with a firm edge to her voice. The warrior was a great friend, but she wanted to be alone right now.

The she-cat's fur pickled with annoyance as Acornpelt heaved himself onto the branch next to her. "I know you're probably angry, but you can't just hide from your problems, Russetpaw."

"Acornpelt, _please_ go away."

"I know, I know, but why don't you talk? All these problems are going to get worse later. You can't just put them off-"

"I said, leave!" Russetpaw couldn't stop the annoyance that was creeping back into her.

Acornpelt's eyes widened, then quickly filled with rage. "Russetpaw, I'm just trying to help you! Honestly, cats are starting to worry about you."

Russetpaw flattened her ears defensively to her head and spat, "And what is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Well, you and Ashpaw practically claw each others' ears off when you see each other, you just got in a argument with your mentor, then there was that rogue who you were talking with." Acornpelt's amber stare bored into her as he spoke.

"The rogue? How do you know about Scratch?" Russetpaw was outraged, her fur fluffed up almost twice her size, and her tail lashed out behind her as she kept her balance on the branch. "Were you _spying_ on me?"

The tabby took a cautious step back, growling, "I wasn't spying! You left camp alone, so I followed you, and then you started talking to that intruder."

"After I shredded him!" Russetpaw spat back.

"But then you talked to him, like you were going to see him again!" Acornpelt responded, unsheathing his claws. Russetpaw wasn't sure if it was for him to get a better grip, or because he was going to lash out.

"I can't believe you would even think I would betray my clanmates!" Russetpaw seethed, but inside, she was choking back shock. How could Acornpelt, one of her closest friends, think that she would do something like that?

"No… I didn't mean that-" he was cut of by Russetpaw sharp reply.

"Just leave, Acornpelt! I don't want to talk to you."

The tom stared at her for a heartbeat, his anger easing, and his fur flattening. Before he jumped off the branch, he added stiffly, "You know, when a cat tries to help you, it means they care about you!" Then he descended down the tree without looking up.

As soon as Acornpelt disappeared from her sight, Russetpaw let out a soft whimper. "I just got into huge fights with two of the cats I care about the most!"

Frustration rose in her throat as she clung to her branch, still in the same stiff position when she was fighting Acornpelt. She relaxed, her shoulders slumped with defeat.

 _He's right though. I can't just hide up here. I have to go and serve my clan..._ _No matter what._ Sighing, she carefully clawed her way down the thick trunk, her claws snagging on the deep ridges in the bark.

She padded slowly along, taking her time. _What if Raventuft and Acornpelt told every cat about what I said to them? Surely every cat would hate me!_

Her muscles stiffened as the river came into view, and then the sheltered grove of the island. Small writhing shapes slide out of the water and slipped into the camp, who Russetpaw recognized as Rockwillow and Sparkpaw.

She picked her way forward, slipping into the newly thawed river, some chunks of leftover ice drifted around her as Russetpaw suppressed a small growl as the freezing water burned her skin. Russetpaw unsheathed her claws as they scratched the bottom of the river. She ran the the rest of the way into camp, trying to warm up as she slipped into the RiverClan camp.

Russetpaw glanced around camp shyly as she padded, in trying to be unnoticed.

She let out a breath of relief when everything appeared to be normal, nobody was staring at her. Creamfur laid stretched out next to Swiftfoot on a smooth, flat rock, the sun warming their pelts.

"Hello Russetpaw," Creamfur purred as the ginger apprentice passed. Her jaws gaping in a large yawn, Creamfur said, "It's getting warmer, isn't it?"

"Oh… yes," Russetpaw meowed back, her voice sounding a bit far away, for something had caught her eye.

Across camp, Raventuft was in deep conversation with Tinywave, his face serious as ever. Russetpaw's heart sank immediately. _He's surely telling her about me…_ All of a sudden, her mentor looked furious, her fur bristling and eyes glazed with hostility. Russetpaw was almost sure he was going to attack his sister, before he gave a fierce hiss and stalked out of camp.

Russetpaw's guilt and embarrassment burned through her as she turned her paws towards her den.

"Russetpaw!" An excited meow made the ginger apprentice whip around, her fur raised slightly. In front of her stood Flamepaw, his blue eyes glowing with joy.

"Guess what? I can get back to training now," he purred, flicking his tail playfully over her ear, "And Lizardstripe said Sparkpaw and I will be made warrior in the next moon! Well,if I work really hard to catch up on training."

"That's great." Russetpaw tried to sound convincingly happy for her friend, but she was still overwhelmed with the emotions from earlier.

A deep purr rumbled in Flamepaw's throat before he bounded away, greeting his mother, Puddlespots, at the entrance to camp to tell her the good news.

Closing her eyes briefly, Russetpaw padded into the apprentice's den, curling tightly into her mossy nest.

About to close her eyes, a loud sneer jolted her awake. "Well look who finally messed up."

"Ashpaw, I don't want to deal with you right now," Russetpaw sighed, turning slowly to lock her gaze with her brother.

"I can't believe it! You should have seen Raventuft's face talking to Tinywave… of course she made the stupid mistake of making him not punish you," The gray tom went on, completely ignoring Russetpaw.

Relief washed through her like a cold, refreshing wave. This was news. Funny that Tinywave was more compassionate that her own mentor?

"You're so lucky, every cat just _loves_ Russetpaw," he spat mockingly, but his sister stared at him with curiousity. She was sure that his voice was thick with jealousy. _Why?_

Before Russetpaw could ponder it, a screech came from outside the den, it vibrated in her ears, turning her blood to ice. The scream sounded familiar… too familiar. She leaped out of her nest, racing beside Ashpaw, who seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"Mistyfeather!" Ashpaw wailed as they burst into the clearing.


	15. Chapter Thirteen

**AN: I'm sorry I haven't been updating lately… but I should get back in the swing of things this week. Thanks so much for reading and suggesting characters for Creamfur's kits! They are all really interesting cats and probably will be born in about three chapters… sorry for the wait.**

 **Chapter Thirteen**

Russetpaw raced forward, the world around her a blur. The only thing that she could see clearly was her mother, scarlet splotches staining her once-beautiful gray fur. Mistyfeather's flanks heaved as she lashed out helplessly, Shellcloud standing before her.

"No…" Russetpaw meowed, her voice barely a whisper. She was shaking, her body rattled by shock and grief. She pressed her nose into her mother's fur, her throat choked with sorrow.

"She's still breathing! Do something!" Ashpaw was screeching at Shellcloud, his meow thick with distress, hackles raised.

"I-I'm sorry," the silver tabby whispered, closing her eyes. "There is nothing I can do."

"You mangy excuse for a medicine cat! You will not let my mother die," Ashpaw growled, throwing himself at her. With his fur fluffed up with rage, Ashpaw looked twice his size. He snarled and spat as he started slashing recklessly at the medicine-cat.

Tinywave held her apprentice back before he could touch Shellcloud, who stood rigid with shame.

Blizzardstar suddenly came bounding towards them from the direction of his den. His face was cold with seriousness as he demanded, "What happened?"

Fishclaw, who had his head bowed silently next to Shellcloud, spoke softly. "We were on a patrol near the ShadowClan border when a fox attacked us. It lunged for Flamepaw, but Mistyfeather blocked the fox and hit her instead…"

"Where are Lizardstripe and Flamepaw?" Blizzardstar asked, his voice calm, but still sorrowful.

"They stayed to chase off the fox while I brought Mistyfeather back here."

The powerful white tom nodded, and flicked his tail. "Tidetail, Puddlespots, Acornpelt, and Foxpaw. You go and help Flamepaw and Lizardstripe. Make sure you chase the fox off our territory." The four cats nodded and raced out of camp immediately.

Russetpaw felt sick as she crouched stiffly in front of her helpless mother. Part of her wanted to race into the forest, to tear that fox into shreds, but she stayed there, unmoving, her paws frozen to the ground.

Mistyfeather's eyes flickered open for a second and hazily focused on her daughter.

"R-Russetpaw? I-is that you?" The tabby's voice was cracked into a soft rasp, nothing like the smooth, soothing sound it once was.

"Mother?" Russetpaw's heart shattered just looking down at her mother. "No, don't speak, you must save your strength."

Mistyfeather stared up at her, her gaze filled with regret and love, all mixed into one brilliant green hue. "No, it is my time… but know that I love you, and I always have." Mistyfeather paused to take a deep, painful breath.

"And Russetpaw - remember that only time will uncover the secret that I have kept from you."

The intensity of her mother's gaze made Russetpaw shiver. _What does she mean? Tell me!_

Mistyfeather coughed feebly, her body making a massive effort to breathe. Her flanks heaved, gradually slowing as Russetpaw saw the light fade from her mother's eyes.

"No!" Russetpaw wailed. Her voice choked with grief, she cried, "Don't leave me!"

"Russetpaw, I will never leave you," Mistyfeather said lovingly. "I lived a good life. Goodbye, my darling…" Mistyfeather rasped the words, then let out one last breath before her eyes glazed over, staring at nothing.

 _No… NO…_ Russetpaw could not talk, her grief and sorrow silencing any words that came to mind.

"Mistyfeather!" Ashpaw wailed, pushing his nose into his mother's still body. "Why?"

Russetpaw did the same, her body shivering against the cold. Her clanmates gathered around her solemnly, giving one last forlorn goodbye to Mistyfeather before slipping into their dens for the night. Soon the only cats who were left were Russetpaw, Ashpaw, and Shellcloud. The silver tabby sat in silence, her head bent up towards the sky. Russetpaw did the same.

Silverpelt twinkled above the camp. One star caught Russetpaw's eye. For a few seconds, it shone the brightest, glowing silver against the dark night sky. _I'll miss you, mother…_

Shellcloud suddenly crouched forward, resting her head gently on Mistyfeather's. The medicine cat's eyes were swimming with grief as she licked down a tuft of fur on her dead littermate. _Yet she must go on and serve the clan…_

Then the silver tabby began to speak, her voice barely a small whisper, but Russetpaw's keen ears caught what she had said. "Don't worry… I'll tell them for you."

 _What?_ The apprentice was confused, her mind buzzing anxiously. _What does this have to do with what Mistyfeather told me?_

Eventually Russetpaw pushed the thoughts out of her mind and laid beside her mother's still body, waiting for morning to come.

When the elders came to take Mistyfeather away for burial, Russetpaw hesitated. Her mother's limp body hung lifelessly, her head flopped back and her tail dragging on the ground, stirring up the soil. _Oh, goodbye…_

Russetpaw padded into the apprentices den to lie down, but she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep, maybe not ever again.

Quick pawsteps behind her made the ginger apprentice turn to face Sparkpaw, her friend's eyes sparkling with concern.

"Are you okay?" Sparkpaw mewed, her voice heavy with worry.

 _Of course I'm not okay! My mother just died, for StarClan's sake!_ Russetpaw wanted to snap at her friend, but she forced herself to keep the words in. Instead, she responded with a quick nod before swiftly padding into the shade of her den. Letting out a long, drawn out sigh, Russetpaw sank into her nest.

 _How could this happen? Three deaths, all so close to each other… why, StarClan?_ Russetpaw's troubled thoughts swirled around her head like snowflakes in a blizzard, but they soon faded into darkness as she slipped into a troubled sleep.

Paws thumping on the frozen ground, Russetpaw's thorn-sharp claws glistened in the moonlight and scrapped at the top layers of stiff dirt. The apprentice raced into the trees, her breath coming quick in the raw air. Fearful wails and shrieks echoed around the ginger apprentice as she leapt over a fallen oak tree, paws sailing over it gracefully.

The desperate sounds of the endangered cats grew louder and louder, making Russetpaw's ears ache. She swerved to the right, running in circles. _Where are they?_ Why was it so hard to find these cats? Russetpaw sniffed the air, trying to catch a whiff of a cat's scent, but nothing came to her.

"Help! Help!" the screeches cried. "They're coming!"

 _Who's they?_ Frustration filled up quickly inside Russetpaw. Where were these cats?

Thunder suddenly crackled above and the sky split into a furious storm, rain pounding down hard on Russetpaw's thick coat. She forced her way through dense bracken as the screeches grew louder.

"I'm coming!" she yowled, but no cat responded.

Suddenly, the ground fell beneath her paws, sliding downward in a quick motion, taking Russetpaw with it. She tried to jump back, butbefore she knew it, the slick dirt poured over a ledge, emptying into thick clouds of mist. Yelping in surprise, Russetpaw unsheathed her claws, trying to scrabble out of the slope, but a deep rumbling was coming from up ahead.

Bursting into the open, water rushed down on top of Russetpaw, running into her mouth and choking her. She barreled over, her body tumbling into the powerful cascade of rushing water.

Russetpaw suddenly realized something odd about the liquid that surrounded her body. It was warm and thick and tasted salty…

Terror shot through her ears to tail as Russetpaw came to the conclusion that the water wasn't water at all. It was blood.

The river of crimson threw Russetpaw right off the ledge and sent her falling down, howling in a mess of thrashing paws and tail.

 _Help!_ Russetpaw wanted to screech, but whenever she opened her mouth, blood came rushing in and her lungs soon screamed for air.

Russetpaw forced herself to look around and she caught sight of a cat - no, multiple cats. They swirled around her, sharing the same struggles of being sucked down into the endless rush of blood.

With a gasp of horror, recognition hit Russetpaw mercilessly. These cats weren't just anyone, they were her clanmates!

 _Tinywave, Sparkpaw, Tidetail… oh no, even Birdkit!_ Russetpaw stretched her paws out, trying to grab hold of the sodden bundle of brown fur, but just as her paws grazed the kit, all the cats turned to the ginger she-cat.

Russetpaw's clanmates surged around her, their eyes blank and pale as the moon. No expression was in their gazes, just cold hunger for blood. They stared directly at Russetpaw, who in response shivered under their helpless stares. They seemed to be pleading silently to her, as if something had possessed them, an invisible force Russetpaw couldn't make heads or tails of.

In unison, the cats opened their mouths as if to shriek, but instead, blood splattered out of their throats. Their fur was suddenly clotted with blood, and Russetpaw couldn't recognize which cat was who. The only thing that was left of her clanmates was the sticky scarlet blanket that covered them and the blank, gaunt stares that were plastered on their faces.

 _No!_ Russetpaw thrashed helplessly around, trying to do something to help her clanmates, but the attempt was useless and RiverClan was sucked in deeper and deeper.

Shadowed shapes came into view above her head, untouched and completely healthy. They watched the cats drowning in blood, their eyes glittering with menace.

 _Help us!_ Russetpaw yowled silently to the cats, but they remained there, watching her, emotionless. As the apprentice was washed away in the crimson storm, the strangers seemed to chant something over and over again until the words had burned into Russetpaw's mind.

"Shades of red will stain the forest… shades of red will stain the forest…"

 **And I'm sorry for those of you who really didn't want Mistyfeather to die… sorry about that.**


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